


Jo: A Youth Wars Prequel

by ExarSunrider



Series: Youth Wars [4]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, Crystals, FirstOrder, Lightsabers, Orphaned, Post-Star Wars: A New Hope, Post-Star Wars: Attack of the Clones, Post-Star Wars: Rebels, Post-Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, Post-Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, Post-Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Post-Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, Post-Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, Pre-Star Wars: Resistance, Pre-Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Prequel, Resistance, Starwars - Freeform, Very Alternate Universe, slight trauma
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-21
Updated: 2018-08-30
Packaged: 2019-06-30 19:04:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 22,792
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15757827
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ExarSunrider/pseuds/ExarSunrider
Summary: In the second Youth Wars prequel, my character Jo is centralized. It is Jo's early days, as he lives life as a doctor prodigy under the care of his adoptive father Kell. The two are the most efficient doctors in the known galaxy; but an incident turns Jo's life inside out and upside down as he begins his galactic journey, fleeing from and fighting the First Order. Along the way, Jo faces one of his worst nightmares.





	1. Chapter 1

 

Jo: A Youth Wars Story

 

"Jonan, it's time." Jedi Master Luke Skywalker called after the youngling.

  
"Coming master!" Jonan called, chasing after his teacher.

  
Jo followed Luke outside to the rocky terrain and the cloudy sky. "I'm here, master."

  
After a moment, Luke invited, "Sit."

  
Jo sat down, his legs crossed, and Luke mirrored him, sitting only a foot away.

  
"Jonan, do you know why I called you here alone?"

  
Jo thought for a moment, "Uuuuh, becasue of my, my, power?"

  
Luke chuckled at Jo's stutter. "Yes, young one. You and I have both been curious of your power. Its strength and capacity. Raw strength like yours is rare, and can lead down a dark path."

  
"The dark side?"

 

"Correct."

  
"But, um, didn't you sense, um, isn-doesn't-"

  
"Yes, I know. Ben is the same, yet he is different. He is more unstsable; he's anxious to know of his grandfather, my father."

  
"Who is your father?"

  
Luke thought for a moment.

  
"My father fought back in the Clone Wars, as a student of Obi Wan Kenobi. After the war ended, my father was murdered by the Emperor's right hand man, Darth Vader."

  
"Oh I remember now; you told me this a while ago."

  
Luke slightly grinned. Children like Jo always cheered him up.

  
"Master Luke? Do you think something like that will happen to us?"

  
"I don't know, Jonan. There is a conflict within Ben, and I hope we can take it out of him."

  
"How do you do that?"

  
"The force will help us, Jo."

  
\---

  
Jo arrived back in the temple after his session with Luke, and he was greeted not-so-pleasantly.

  
"Well if it isn't the teacher's pet." Youngling Arek said.

  
"Ah, shaddup. I'm not the animal, here." Jo shot back at the Trandoshan.

  
Arek hissed and stepped forward to strike, but young Ben Solo stepped in between.

  
"Oh what are _you_ going to do?" Arek asked, hissing.

  
Ben grabbed his tongue, mid-hiss and squeezed with two fingers. Arek started groaning in pain and shaking. Arek shouted "Okay, okay." as well as he could without his tongue, and Ben let go. Arek recoiled and held his tongue.

  
"You really need to stop." Ben said. Arek just hissed aggresively and walked off.

  
"Um, th-thanks." Jo mumbled.

  
"Jonan," Ben said. "Luke isn't telling the whole truth."

  
"What do you mean, Ben?"

  
"Darth Vader _is_ my grandfather."

  
"Really? Wait, but Master Luke said he killed your grandfather. That doesn't make sense."

  
"It's hard to explain, but it's true."

  
"Master Luke doesn't lie."

  
"I didn't say he was lying, I just said he isn't telling all the truth."

  
. . .

  
"Huh?"

  
"Arrgh, it's hard to explain."

  
"Maybe because it isn't true."

  
"It is true."

  
"No it's not!"

  
"Yes it-"

  
"If it's true, then prove it."

  
"Oh I will. I will."

  
"Ben!" Luke shouted. The two younglings jolted and acknowledged him. Luke kneeled to Jo's level and looked at him straight in his eyes. "Jonan, what did he tell you?"

  
Jo stuttered, trying to find an answer. " _What did he tell you_?"

  
"He said that Darth Vader was your grand- your father."

  
Luke immediately stood and turned to Ben. "What have you done?"

  
"I'm revealing the truth." Ben replied.

  
"That's not for you to decide, Ben. Do you understand?"

  
"Yes, Uncle Luke." Ben murmured.

  
"Now return to your quarters for meditation. We'll discuss this later, Ben."

  
"Yes Master Luke." Jo and Ben said in unison.

  
\---  
Jo returned to his room to meditate, and sat down. He closed his eyes and drew all focus to the force. He somehow couldn't get his mind off of what Ben told him. That and what Luke told him didn't add up to the youngster. He had only heard of Darth Vader, and neither knew what he looked like, nor knew of, well, _him_. He pretty much just knew his name, and that he supposedly killed Ben's grandfather.

  
Then he drifted into a meditive sleep.

 

*

  
He woke to someone screaming his name. He opened his eyes and saw the building going down in flames. Suddenly terrified, he called out to the voice, or more specifically, " **Master Luke**!" He heard no reply. Starting to cry, he shouted again. " **Master Luke**!" He looked around, coughing. He saw almost nothing, then everything in his vision went to black as the last thing he saw was a serrated red blade going down his body.

  
\---

  
"Jo!"

  
"Jo!"

  
"Snap out of it!"

  
Jo snapped back to reality as his fellow doctor Kell Loren, called for his assistance. "Ah, sorry! What?"

  
"Forceps please."

  
Jo handed Kell the forceps. Jo and some other neurosurgeons had been assigned to help a severely wounded soldier, who had a chunck of his right leg blown off, and a fracture around his ribs.

  
"We just might have to give this guy a prosthetic by the way his tibia and fibula are looking. The interosseous membrane is severed; even if we repaired it the best we could, then there's a chance this guy might not be able to walk again." Kell said as he gently removed some damaged skin and tissue from his leg. "Now the bipolar ones, Jo." Jo handed him the bipolar forceps, and Kell slowly reached inside and ever-so-gently pulled out a tiny portion of metal from the injury, and placed it in a tin plate.

  
"Darin," Jo whispered. "Update on his blood flow."

  
"Nothing has changed." Darin Guga whispered back as he kept his eyes on the screen showing his blood status.

  
"Should we give this guy a cast?" Jo asked.

  
"I don't know. We may have to use bone fracture repair." Kell answered.

  
"Is it that bad?"

  
"Are you talking about the leg or his rib injury?"

  
"Leg. We don't put casts on ribs."

  
"Good point. Didn't catch that."

  
"Guys, less talking, more working." Darin said.

  
"Anyway, his ribs... look sustainable. He may have to be out of the field for a little bit. His leg... may have to be worked on some more, but right now," Kell looked at the room's electronic clock, "I am needed elsewhere."

  
And at that moment, another neurosurgeon entered the room to take his place. "I'm here. Go on ahead." Kell exited the room, then the neurosurgeon asked, "What do we got?"

  
"Sustainable rib injury, and a severed leg. We might give this guy a robotic leg, judging by the state of his tibia and fibula."

  
"What do we need to do?"

  
"You," Jo said, handing him the retractors, "Will succor the leg injury, while I get the machine ready for the mechanical leg."

  
"Got it."

  
"I'll be back in a flash."

  
Jo rushed out and entered a room, where doctors were disinfecting a medical table. Droids were present, organizing prosthetic limb parts. "Hey, we got a Resistance soldier in need of a prosthetic right shin and foot. He's going to be brought here shortly; have the place ready."

  
"Already ready."

  
Jo rushed back to the room, and quickly said, "Get him on the stretcher." Then pulled the foldable stretcher off the wall, unfolded it until it clicked, then they all professionally slided the soldier onto the stretcher. They then rushed him over to the prosthetics room for the upgrade. Jo put all he had into the force to keep the leg injury from worsening if moved. He couldn't do much with the little training he had. Jo sighed when the soldier was successfully placed on the table and connected to medical tubes.

  
A doctor informed Jo, " You've done your part her, we'll take it from here."

  
"Alright." Jo said as the three sighed and left.

  
\---

  
Darin joined Jo on a bench outside the room. "Jo. What happened?"

  
"What do you mean?"

  
"You zoned out during the operation; we could've lost him. What happened?"

  
"I really don't know; whatever happened wasn't intentional."

  
"You talking about-" Darin looked around, "The force?" He finished, leaning in and whispering quietly.

  
"Why are you whispering? This isn't the Empire."

  
"I just didn- no, don't get off topic. Jo, we really needed you at that moment. He was dangerously close to death."

  
Shocked, Jo quietly hissed, "Seriously?" Darin just nodded.

  
"Like I said, he was dangerously close to death, and you were zoned out. This is something we really can't have. If someone was to die, our business's popularity would plummet; we've been known to cure pretty much anything that comes our way."

  
"I get the picture, Darin."

  
"Now, you know I know, _nothing_ , about the force, but you need to control that thing- whatever happened."

  
"And you know I have very little knowledge of the force. I do know that the force is the most powerful thing in existence, so if it wants me to see something, it makes sure of it."

  
"See something? Like a vision?"

  
"...Kind of."

  
"Something like a vision?"

  
"More of a flashback."

  
"Oh. Your past?"

  
"Well," Darin thought for a second. _'I'm gonna sound so stupid if he doesn't understand.'_ "What of your past did the force want you to see?"

  
"Huh?"

  
_'Let's try that again.'_ "Do you think something of your past is going to come to light?"

  
"Come to _light_? Highly unlikely."

  
"Jo! Darin!" A doctor called from down the hall.

  
"Duty calls." Jo said, standing up and slowly running across the hall with Darin.

  
\---

  
After a long, exhausting day's work, Jo and Kell arrived home and started settling.

  
"How was work on your end, Kell?" Jo asked, plopping down on the couch. Their house/apartment was very high class; being doctors, they got paid handsomely. Their floor was a delicate red cherry wood, their wooden furniture made of similar material. Their soft furniture (their couch) was made of a smooth leather. They had a stone fireplace in case of a blackout, a glass table in between that and the couch. A basic, rich man's apartment.

  
"Not really much different, kid. Newly injured people come in, and we save them. It's the same ol' same old thing."

  
. . .

  
"You okay?"

  
Kell sighed, "Jo, what's the first thing you remember?"

  
"Coming out of the womb."

  
 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

  
"I'm kidding."

  
"Oh gosh." Kell exhaled loudly.

  
"Yeah no. I just remember training with Luke Skywalker." Jo's face went slightly downcast.

  
"You know, when I picked you up from the wreckage, when I saw you the way you were, I thought you were done for. The point is: every severely injured soldier that comes in reminds me of you when I found you. Even though we don't get them so often, it still wrenches me up inside." Kell tried finding understandable words for Jo.

  
"But you keep at it, because you know you can save them?" Jo inquired, in a statement-like tone.

  
"Yeah. I guess."

  
Jo smiled a bit. "You've been like a father to me, Kell; a friend, too. Throughout my li- throughout most of my life, you've given me everything I could've asked for. A home, meals, heck, even something of a family. I couldn't be more grateful."

  
_'Strong words from a pre-teen.'_ Kell thought. "Oh but you could be."

  
"What?"

  
"When I found you, I thought you were dead; you were cut almost in half, but I then saw you move. Flinch. I thought I was getting messed up, but I had to be sure, so I grabbed a stethoscope, and thank the fore you were alive. I couldn't pass the opportunity up to save you, to, to maybe have a son."

  
"I remember, early on in my career, you telling me-"

  
"She passed on."

  
. . .

  
"W-wha-h- How long has it been?" Jo asked.

  
"It's been less than a decade."

  
"How come you never said anything?"

  
"I didn't want the pity and sorrow to get in anyone's way."

  
"You know that's not likely. We put priority over pity." Jo said with a silly tone. Kell laughed a bit, looking like he coughed.

  
"You were always good at bringing up the mood."

  
"It's just a part of me."

  
Kell nodded his head to the side in agreement. "Well it's not late. We should be hitting the hay."

  
"A'ight. Night."

  
"Goodnight Jo."

 


	2. Chapter 2

  
Chapter 2

  
        Another day at work, hard at work. Injured soldiers coming in from the front line, not really anything new. There were some who needed surgery in their body, some were sick and needed a quick cure, some had broken bones and needed casts. Jo was giving a patient a cast when the holonet activated. " _We interrupt this program with some breaking news. The First Order has moved forward as the Resistance took another loss on Balmorra. Not many details on what the First Order wants there are known, but we hope the galaxy can stay safe. We return you to your regularly scheduled radio programs_." Then the music started playing again. Jo finished putting on the cast and pondered that thought for a moment.

  
"Jo to room 3H. Repeat: Jo to room 3H." The overhead intercom activated. Jo saw the patient out to her parents, and headed off. On the way, he passed Kell.

  
"You just heard the news?" Kell asked.

  
"Yeah. Balmorra."

  
"What do you think they want there?"

  
"It was known for producing battle droids a long time ago. There could be more to it, but now we gotta hope that the Resistance is able to take care of it."

  
"Indeed. Room 3H?"

  
"Yep. Let's go now." They hurried to the elevator and moved to floor 3 in a snap. They then rushed over to room H, entered, then Jo asked, "What do we got?"

  
They saw a man straped to a table, having a seizure. He was jerking himself all over, but his heart was barely beating. "What's going on?"

  
"We don't exactly know. As you can see, his heart's barely beating yet he's having a seizure. We tried sedating him to unconsciousness so we could diagnose, but it didn't help." Another doctor said.

  
"That could've been very dangerous. I think we need Counteract 4." Kell said, starting to rush out.

  
"Kell!" Kell turned back to see the other doctors gesturing to Jo. Jo was confused, looking between the doctors and Kell.

  
Kell thought only for a second, then said, "He's ready." Then dashed off.

  
"Wait. Ready for what?"

  
"Jo." One of the doctors called to him. Jo turned as the doctor kneeled in front of him and put a hand on his shoulder. "You are about to be let in on this hospital's best kept secret. We need you to swear that you will not let this secret out to anyone else here."

  
        "I swear." Jo simply said. Just then, Kell reentered the room with something covered in a cloth. He ripped it off and revealed a serum with bright green liquid. "What is that?" Jo asked as Kell injected it into the patient. Within seconds, the man was restored to originality. His heartbeat was normal, and whatever was inside his body was gone. Completely gone. "What?" Jo wondered, confused.

  
        "Jo. Come with me." Kell said, guiding Jo out into the hall. They took one left turn and entered an _'Employees Only'_ room. There, they found themselves in an empty room only with an electronic combination lock and a tube under it. Kell slid the serum into the tube and it descended down it. Kell entered a multi digit code, then the lock slid back and revealed a retinal scan. Kell put his eye in front of it and it scanned it. A green light flashed, then Kell slid a key into a keyhole under the scanner. As a noise started emitting, Kell looked over to Jo with some worry, "Um, Jo. Hold onto my arm." Jo did so. Then all of a sudden, magic blue sparks came out and the next thing they knew, they were being teleported.

  
They appeared in a science lab, where many people were at work. "Where are we? And why do we need a teleporter to get here? It seems kind of excessive." Jo asked.

  
"A top secret room underneath the hospital. Now look." Kell pointed behind Jo, to where they could see -through windows- a massive green crystal. Jo's jaw dropped. He pointed to it and stuttered. "Yes Jo. That's a kyber crystal. We've learned how to safely use it's power for good."

  
"That's freaking awesome."

  
"That's _pretty_ awesome, Jo."

  
"Whatever you say."

  
        "Right. Now let me tell you about this. You see, this has been a secret of this place for years. We found this crystal buried within the surface we stand on now. Now I know what you're thinking, so I'll answer. No there aren't any more giant crystals. Anyway, through the years, we've learned how to harness the kyber crystal's energy to be able to be turn it into a healing factor for pretty much everything."

. . .

  
"Wow." Jo was speechless. It took him a moment to completely understand and comprehend what Kell had told him; when he understood, he simply nodded. "That's how we cured cancer in an instant." He suddenly blurted.

  
"What?" Kell asked with a stern look on his face.

  
"I read that we once cured cancer instantly; I always wondered how, and now I know."

  
"Jo, that was a classified file."

  
"How come?"

  
"We don't want people going around spreading news that we can cure cancer in a second; word could get out to some bad people, and that could mean something terrible for us in the future."

  
"Oh." Jo breathed.

  
"Now, we should get back to help." Kell said, leading Jo back up.

  
_'Yoooooou'_

  
"Did you hear that?" Jo asked.

  
"Hear what?"

  
"Something wants to get my attention." Jo replied.

  
"It's nothing." Kell tried, moving forward with a concerned expression on his face.

  
_'Yoooooou-use me.'_

  
_'Use what?'_ Jo thought. He then found himself looking back at the crystal. _'The crystal?'_ ...

  
Jo looked at his arms, then back at the crystal. _'Oh.'_ And sent him deep into thought.

  
\---

  
"Jo, wait outside. I'll be out in a few moments." Kell said as he and Jo were about to head back home. Jo went out and stood by the hospital. He thought about the crystal. _'It heals people. Can it... heal me?'_ He wondered, looking at his limbs and touching the left half of his head.

  
Just then, he was yanked into the shadows of the alley. He found himself with his arms behind his back and a poor-looking man with a knife in front of him. "You one of the doctors, kid?" Jo replied with a confused, barely scared, look on his face.

  
"Hand me your credits."

  
"I don't have any credits on me."

  
"You doctors get paid awesomely every day, do I look that dumb to you?"

  
. . .

  
"That's a very difficult question to answer."

  
The man held the knife to Jo's neck. "Credits. Now."

  
Getting more scared, Jo didn't even notice that he couldn't move his arms. _'Why can't I move my arms?'_ He asked himself. Then he saw the mugger's expression turn upward in confusion. Jo also looked up and saw the other two muggers dangling in the air on... _'My arms?'_

  
        "What in the-" He was interrupted as Jo kicked him with his metal leg. Using quick logic, Jo imagined his arms moving in a circle; as he thought it, they did. _'Nice!'_ He then had the arms place the other two muggers on the top of the building, leaving them hanging. The next thing he saw was the mugger he was confronting swing down with the knife. He braced himself for the blow, but it never came. He looked up and saw that his arms had reattached to his body; the mugger was injured and nearly passed out on the ground.

  
 _The last thing I saw was a serrated red blade going down my body._ Reminded of that incident, Jo backed up into a corner starting to shake. He held his head and started panting loudly. Soon, he collapsed to the ground and passed out.

  
\---

  
The first thing Jo saw when he woke up was Kell in a chair at his side; he found himself in his bed in his apartment. Feeling better, he rubbed his hands together, shaking up the electricity in his fingers. He reached over and hovered his fingers on Kell's face. Then a small bolt of lightning came out of each finger and shocked him awake. Kell shouted and fell to the floor. Jo started laughing and slapping his knee.

  
Recovered, Kell stood and said sarcastically, "Very funny. You know it's three in the morning, right?" He then asked. Jo's laughter died down and he looked over to a clock and saw the time.

  
"So it is." Jo responded.

  
"First off, are you alright?" Kell asked.

  
"Well, yeah."

  
"Are you sure? Jo, we found you in an alley with a mugger; two others were hanging on a building. Did they do anything to you?"

  
Remembering what happened with his metal arms, Jo stopped for a second. Kell recognized the body language, then beckoned him even more. "Did you have a flashback, or, did something happen with you?"

  
 _'With me, yes. Not to me.'_ Jo thought. "You gave me these arms, right?"

  
"Yes."

  
"How come I didn't always know of everything they can do?" Jo interrogated.

  
'He found out.' Kell sighed and sat back down; he scooched his chair forward and rested his head on his hands. "You were very young, Jo, when I gave you these arms. And I didn't know you at all, so... If you found out by yourself what these arms could do, I didn't want you to get scared. With the way these arms work, you might've received some wrong thoughts and gotten injured; at your young age back then, you might've injured yourself beyond the point of healing. You were already injured enough as it was.

  
. . .

  
Jo saw his logic and thought about it for a moment, then he finally replied, "Thanks for telling me."

  
Kell nodded and concluded, "Well kid, you should get back to sleep. We need plenty of rest for work tomorrow." Then left the room.

  
Jo laid back and remembered the reason he was in this state. _'Where are you now?'_

 


	3. Chapter 3

  
Chapter 3

  
_Slap_. Gloves fit firmly on Jo's mechanical hands as he and Kell entered the hospital and checked in; they were immediately called to work the second they were seen. "You two! We need you ASAP at Room 1F." Darin shouted through the intercom. Jo and Kell jogged their way there, as to not disturb anyone else. They entered Room 1F on their right and saw Darin standing beside a table with an unconscious man on it; they noticed Darin was the only one the room.

  
"Darin-"

  
"I have to attend the machine, we need defibrillators on him now!"

  
"Darin, why were you here alone?" Kell asked, picking up defibrillators and approaching the table.

  
"Everyone else is busy."

  
"Care to let me in on why we got here later than all the others? And Darin, what do you need me for?" Jo asked Kell and he set the voltage power.

  
"It's a part of our schedule, don't you remember? Clear!" Kell said strictly, before activating and sending shocks throughout the person's body.

  
"Jo, you're needed in case things go wrong." Darin then replied.

  
"I have a plan for that." Jo replied back.

  
"Clear!" Kell repeated his actions, jolting the body upward and back down.

  
_Beep beep beep beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee- beep beep beep beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep_

  
Jo looked at Kell desperately, and Kell nodded. "The scanners will recognize you. Clear!" He said, then repeated the action again.

  
Jo dashed out and barged into the 'Employees Only' closet on the first floor, then saw the combination lock. _'Oh dang! I don't know the code!'_ Being the quick thinker, Jo looked at his hands and back at the lock. He placed one hand on the lock and focused. He could practically hear the lock doing its thing. Within a second, the retinal scan appeared and Jo leant down and put his one good eye to it. It scanned, and the green light flashed. Jo used the force to unlock the keyhole.

Jo was then transported down to the lab.

  
One of the scientists saw Jo and was about to acknowledge him, but Jo beat him to it. "We need a bit of the crystal, urgently!"

  
The scientist listened to his request and dashed off, then came back. "Serum or shard?"

  
Jo thought for a quick second. "Shard. A small one."

  
Jo had to wait for estimately twenty seconds before a doctor rushed to him with a small crystal shard wrapped up in cloth. "Be careful, now." The man said, right before Jo rushed off.

  
Jo elevated himself up to the first floor, and dashed to Room 1F, while keeping the cloth steady in his hands. He unwrapped it and used the force to carry it. As he entered the room, his heart thumped as he heard a lingering _Beeeeeeeeeee_ \- He entered the room and saw Kell and Darin at both sides of the table, looking down, shocked and saddened.

  
Kell noticed Jo and said, "Jo. We were too late."

  
Jo was frozen in shock.

  
"Darin. Mark this... Our first fatality."

  
"How are we going to let the public kno-"

  
        "Wait." Jo interrupted. Kell and Darin looked at him. Jo opened a slot on his arm and put the crystal in the compartment inside; he suddenly felt a power surge within him. He approached the table and outstretched his arm. Kell went over to close the door and watched as green electricity started running all over Jo's arm. Jo focused hard, and the electricity landed on the dead patient. Several strings of electricity ran from Jo's fingertips and landed on the man's chest, where his heart was. The bolts lingered in that one spot; Jo saw it and said, "Kell, the defibrillators." Kell snapped out of his gaze and grabbed the defibrillators and slowly moved his arms around the electricity; he saw that as he moved his arms near the bolts, the bolts evaded them. "Clear!" Kell shouted, then activated the defibrillators. The man's body jumped and remained in the air. Kell and Darin only watched in amazement as the screens showed his internal works return to normal, as well as his heart. They once again heard the reassuring sounds of _beep beep, beep beep, beep beep_. The man stirred and opened his eyes. Kell and Darin's jaws dropped.

  
Jo was pretty amazed as well.

  
\---

  
The man's family thanked the doctor trio and parted from the hospital. Kell invited Jo along in the hallway for a chat.

  
"Jo. How did you do that?"

  
. . .

  
"Oh. Just kept my arms up and my elbows loose, didn't tense up-"

  
"No. I suppose I should've asked, how did you know how to... raise someone from the dead?"

  
"Oh, well, last night... I may have... found blueprints to my arms, and, kinda figured out stuff from there."

  
"Well we're going to have to talk about this kind of treatment in the future."

  
Suddenly, everyone ducked to the sound of blaster fire; Jo and Kell looked around for the cause. They looked up and saw some mysterious robbers. They had bandannas covering their faces, and were heavily armed.

  
"Nah who the,  ** _heck_** are you?" Jo asked.

  
"This is a robbery."

  
"No kidding. You know, the bandannas and guns really gave it away."

  
One of the robbers whispered, "I told you so." to get nudged by another.

  
"We know this hospital's biggest secret. We know how you can heal everyone that comes in."

  
"What is it you want?" Kell asked.

  
"The kyber crystal."

  
Everyone else in the room started murmuring amongst themselves.

  
"You must be mistaking; there is no crystal here."

  
"Hmmmm. Maybe he needs some encouragement." The lead robber said. Another raised his arm and shot, striking Darin directly in his chest.

  
"NO!" Jo and Kell dashed to Darin's side.

  
"You have a chance to save him. Bring the crystal, heal him, then leave the crystal with us."

  
Jo and Kell were barely listening, but they got the gist of what they were saying. "Kell, what do we do?"

  
Kell then got an idea, then whispered, "Jo. On the first compartment of your right arm, there's a hidden control panel. Open it then press the third button." Jo pulled open the said panel and pressed the button.

  
\---

  
The scientists in the lab suddenly heard a unique alarm go off; they stopped their work, then froze.

  
"That's... Evauation Order 3." One of them said.

  
"I never thought it would come to this." The lead said. "Well we have no time to lose. Get the crystal moving."

  
The crystal was already mounted upon a hovercraft in careful preparation. Scientists got the crystal moving across the room, as another quickly punched in an access code to open a big door. The crystal was pushed through the door and a short hallway, and into a necessarily small hangar bay. In the hangar bay, a three-man shuttle was present for them. They pushed the crystal onboard the shuttle's rear hangar and remained with it. The pilots, speedily stationed in the cockpits, started taking off as the bay doors opened up.

  
\---

  
"Time's ticking." The robber said.

  
Then, they heard the sound of engines roaring. One of the robbers looked out a window and saw the shuttle lifting off. "Uh boss, we might've been too late."

  
Reacting quickly, the leader commanded, "Kill them all. We'll get the crystal oursel-"

  
_SMACK_

  
The leader was launched backwards and nearly shattered the glass doors. One of Jo's arms was hovering in the air. Jo, with a determined look on his face, used his brain to have his arm swerve around and grab the other two, and throw them outside.

  
"Jo. What about Darin?" Kell asked. Jo ran over and knelt down beside him.

  
"I just might happen to have a bit of the crystal left." Jo opened a slot on his left arm and took out a syringe with some of the kyber medicine and injected it in Darin, while Kell was compressing on Darin's injury. "I need to clean it out." Jo said. Kell moved his hands so Jo could work. Jo hovered his hands over Darin's injury and focused on the force. Slowly, the 'dirt' of Darin's injury rose up out of his system. Darin then started wiggling around, giving them a good sign.

  
"I got him Jo." Kell said, giving him the green light and taking Darin away to heal him.

  
Jo then approched the leader of the robbers and grabbed him by the collar of his jacket. " _ **How** did you know about it_?" Jo demanded.

  
"One of your patients yesterday, he worked with us. We gave him a little treatment of our own. A parasite that keeps him conscious when sending him into a seizure."

  
"I don't think you know how that works. But why did you do this?"

  
"They need it."

  
"Huh?"

  
"I was hired for this job."

  
"What are they going to do when they find out that you failed?"

  
"They're _not_ going to do anything to me." He replied, pressing a button on a detonator switch. Jo then heard a countdown start behind him. He looked behind himself and saw a bomb inside a suitcase, counting down from 'Ten'.

  
"EVERYBODY GET OUT!" Jo shouted; everyone in the building started dashing outside the building, running over the robber. Jo dashed over to the bomb and grabbed it.

  
_Eight_

  
"Oh no." _Seven_ "What do I do?"

  
_Six_

  
He looked around to make sure everyone was out of the building.

  
_Five_

  
_Four_

  
"Oh right!" Acting with immense speed, Jo threw the suitcase up as hard as he could, sending his metal arm up with it, to keep it ascending.

  
"Oh no. Kell! Dar-"

  
_KABOOM_

  
The top half of the building was completely blown away, crushing everything else underneath it. Jo barely made it out before the whole building crashed down upon itself.

  
        Suddenly gaining consciousness of what had just happened, Jo turned back once everything had settled. He ran over the huge pile of debris and started digging; but when he did, big chunks of debris around it slid down towards the victims of the act of terror. He stopped so no one would get tumbled over, turned back towards it, and fell to his knees in tears. Jo had only heard of these kinds of acts in the news, but he obviously underestimated the sheer terror of the aftermath of destruction. Now, he had experienced it for himself; he was traumatized.

  
        Within minutes, the ambulance from another business arrived to the scene to help. People dashed out and assisted the victims. One of them approached Jo and saw him on his knees; from his physical state, he could tell that this was either his first traumatic experience, or someone was tragically trapped in the building. "I'm sorry kid. I truly am."

  
        Jo wiped his face and stood, his face still written with shock and sadness, and walked away. Jo then felt the arm, that he used to fly the bomb, reattach to his body; he looked at it and saw it almost broken. Metal was blown off, and it was sparking. He pressed a button on the underside of the arm and shut the power off on the arm.

  
        Jo slowly drudged himself outside town, his soul feeling like it was falling apart. His two closest friends were dead; the closest thing he had to a father, was dead. He had no idea what to do, and his usually quick-thinking brain was failing him at the moment. _'Well,'_ He thought, _'At least the crystal is sa-'_  
"The crystal!" Jo exclaimed. He flipped up his right arm and tried activating his built-in comm, but forgot his left arm was shut off. Not wanting to risk his clothes being set on fire, he butted the button with his chin and turned it on.

  
\---

  
"Hey! Incoming transmission!" One of the scientists called from the cargo bay of the hospital shuttle.

  
"Alright!" A pilot responded before pulling the ship into a halt so the signal could reach. The scientist put on headphones to listen in on the message. "What is it?" The pilot then asked.

  
"It's Jo."

  
The pilot was confused, for the communication machine they had only picked up morse code messages; the scientist realized it and clarified, saying, "He said 'It's Jo. I'm sending you my coordinates.' " The machine beeped and coordinates appeared on the screen. _'Pretty smart, using morse code with your mouth.'_

  
**_(In case you're confused: As said, the machine only picks up morse code, and was designed and programmed that way. The clicking sounds only make it through; any vocal communication will only come across as fuzzy on the other end.)_ **

  
\---

  
Jo sat in the empty field, awaiting his ride out from his current nightmare. Now, he couldn't bear being in the presence of the site of his only family's death. He sat there, looking off into the sunset while his cheeks were stained wet.

  
Then he heard the sound of an engine humming in the distance; he looked up and around and saw a ship approaching from the distance. He stood and started slowly walking towards it as the sound grew louder, and the ship grew closer. As the ship got close enough, it swerved and stopped, its side shown to Jo. The side door opened up and Jo saw some of his fellow scientists.

  
"Jo! Get in!" Jo slowly stepped inside, and the ship lifted off and away from the city.

  
"You don't know how happy I am to see that at least some of my life is still alive." Jo said.

  
. . .

  
"What do you mean?" One of them asked. Then they saw the tear stains on his cheeks. Everyone then realized what he was saying, and they -except the pilots- stopped what they were doing.

  
"We're all that's left?" One of the pilots asked, turning his head to face him. Jo turned to him with his depressed expression, and he got the clue. Wordless, the pilot turned back and continued flying the ship. They turned on the shields as they entered space so they could fly properly. For many moments, no one said a word. Until the same pilot turned back and said, "I'm sorry Jo. This must be really hard for you; being in your young age to lose all that." He wanted to say more, but couldn't.

  
"I'm not one to dismiss traumatic events, but it's okay as long as this crystal isn't in the wrong hands."

  
\---In First Order Space---

  
"You are growing stronger in your power, Kylo Ren. Soon, the galaxy will be ours, and Luke Skywalker will be no more." Said the Supreme Leader Snoke in a hologram transmission. "But I sense you wonder if this is why I contacted you. No no no. I have felt a disturbance in the force."

  
Kylo Ren perked his head up in curiosity.

  
"I saw a boy. Half metal. He is in possession of a kyber crystal; you, need to retrieve it. Take half a fleet with you to Bespin; they will be there."

  
"Supreme Leader, what need is there for half a fleet to retrieve one crystal in the possession of one boy?" Kylo Ren asked.

  
Snoke tilted his head down and glared harshly before the hologram faded, leaving Kylo without an answer.

 


	4. Chapter 4

  
Chapter 4

  
Jo looked around the burning First Order building. The ceiling was gone, and chunks of the roof were falling down in flames. He noticed shuttles taking off to escape outside; he ran to catch one, but was knocked back with sudden force. He recovered, looked up and saw a boy with a triple-bladed lightsaber, and a slightly burned mask. Jo suddenly sensed something familiar about him; even more so as he swung down to kill him, barely giving Jo time to brace himself.

  
\---

  
Jo awoke in a cold sweat. He hid his face in his hands as he thought about what he had just seen. Then, he realized that his broken arm had been repaired and was fully functional.

  
"You hear, Jo?" A pilot asked.

  
"No." He replied quietly.

  
"What was that?"

  
"Sorry, no, I didn't hear. What's up?"

  
"We're entering the Bespin system."

  
"There, we're going to build our new hospital." One of the scientists said.

  
"Well, who's in charge?" Jo asked.

  
. . .

  
"Well, because we're the only ones left, and you were closest to Kell and know about just as much as he did, we thought... maybe you would take that place." Another scientist said.

  
"W-uh-uhmm." Jo stuttered.

  
"Just the one problem: we don't know if you're able to handle all that responsibility." A pilot said.

  
"No." Jo said suddenly.

  
"W-...what do you mean?" A scientist asked.

  
"We can't do this." Jo said.

  
"Why not?"

  
"The thugs that invaded and destroyed our first hospital have friends; there's never just three. Now they know that we use a crystal to do our work, and the news will spread throughout the galaxy." Jo sighed heavily before continuing. "I had a vision, just now. The First Order is involved in this mess, and I'll bet they hired the thieves to get the crystal for them. If we gain popularity by building a hospital here, it could attract their attention and doom us all, and we'll be back at the beginning."

  
Everyone looked down and contemplated what Jo said. They looked around, at all the others present then looked back at Jo. "Pains me to say it, but Jo may be right." One of the scientists said.

  
"Pains you?" Jo asked, raising his only eyebrow.

  
"Our business has helped millions, and I know we all love our job. You said stopping is safe, and it pains me to think that that's the right option."

  
"So what do we do?"

  
"I say," Jo said, "We bury the crystal. We don't let the First Order get their hands on it."

  
"What about the Resistance?"

  
"We don't let them have it either. They could do severe damage with it as well."

  
"Uh, I don't think they're the type for that."

  
"No, but they don't know how to contain its power like I do. If anything was to happen, they could not only cause a significant amount of damage, but could also destroy themselves." Jo saw the confused faces and added, "The point is that kyber crystals are dangerous if not carefully contained or out of reach."

  
. . .

  
They took a moment to think.

  
"Where do we go?"

  
"I know someone who can help." Jo replied. "I don't know where he is, but I think we can find him."

  
"Who?"

  
"We need to find Luke Skywalker."

  
. . .

  
More silence.

  
"You don't know?" Jo was asked.

  
"Know what?" Jo asked back.

  
"That bit of news was universal."

  
" _What is it_?"

  
"Kid, Luke Skywalker is gone. He vanished."

  
Jo slightly stumbled and caught himself on a desk.

  
"Kid, you alright?"

  
"Where did he go? And why?"

  
"We don't know for sure, but some say he went looking for an ancient temple."

  
 _'A Jedi temple no doubt.'_ He thought, surprised. "Why did he go off?"

  
Everyone looked at each other.

  
"Is there something I need to know?" Jo asked.

  
"It's... hard to explain."

  
"We have arrived at Bespin. Buckle up ladies." The other pilot shouted from the cockpit.

  
"Ladies? You wish." The other pilot remarked.

  
The shuttle flew towards Bespin and entered the atmosphere. They flew to the clouds and beheld the remains of Chinook Station. "Guys! Think there could still be fuel there?"

  
"Maybe, maybe not. After the fall of the Empire, the Ugnaughts took control and liberated their planet; they may have taken everything from the Empire's occupaton here."

  
"Would it be hard to check? We could use the stuff." Jo asked.

  
"You're suggesting we steal?" A scientist asked.

  
"What? No!" Jo replied loudly.

  
"Well if we take something, that belongs and came from this planet, without asking, then that's stealing."

  
"Oh. Then yes."

  
"No. We're not stealing. We're going to ask permission."

  
"...Alright... Sounds good."

  
They landed on the station, most exited the ship, and started looking around while a couple remained at the ship.

  
\---

  
Ugnaught guards spotted them in the distance and charged at them, squealing. Jo and the others braced themselves for impact, but were relieved when they stopped. The guards saw that the ship was a medical shuttle and lowered their spears. They actually seemed happy that they were there. They started talking to them, but no one seemed to understand.

  
"They said that they're glad we're here." One of the scientists said... Except him. He understood. (There's always a translator isn't there?)

  
"You understand them?" Jo asked, surprised.

  
"Yeah, uh... Kell taught me."

  
Their heads lowered at his memory. Shortly after, the Ugnaughts gestured them into the station.

  
"Oh! We're going." Jo said as they followed the guards.

  
" ** _What about us_**?" The pilots shouted from the distance.

  
Everyone turned back. Jo was about to reply, but didn't know what to say. One of the guards replied, which translated to "We're going to get you to Ugnorgrad. We have hospitals ther where you can work, if that's what you're looking for."

  
"Well, I guess we found business."

  
"Indeed; the force is with us." Jo said.

  
The guards seemed to get the hint.

  
"They think you're a Jedi." The translator said.

  
"Haha! No. I'm nowhere near a Jedi; I'm techically still a youngling." Jo replied. "I don't even have a lightsaber."

  
"You know Ugnaught. Do you know of anything else? Anything about its resources?" A scientist asked the translator.

  
"I... do not. But hey, we learn as we go." The translator replied.

  
"In that case," Jo said, "Would you mind asking for some fuel?"

  
"Ah yes." The translator and a guard started talking to each other for a brief moment. "He said _'all the fuel has been transported to the city.'_ "

  
"Well, we might as well. Our ship is almost out." Jo said.

  
"Wait what? We only went from one planet to another! Why are we almost out?" The translator asked.

  
"Beats me." Jo said, throwing his hands up in defense.

  
The Ugnaughts shouted, and were translated to "We have a ship, and our daily shift just ended."

  
. . .

  
"This seems to be a little... convenient."

  
"Hey, for what it's worth, I have a good feeling about this." Jo said. "And despite my lack of training, I know a bad feeling when I feel it."

  
"Alright alright. Let's go."

  
They were led to the guard ship, which looked similar to theirs, but it was much bigger and had a ship-sized containment cell on the bottom for 'towing'.  
"They're going to use their ship to take ours to their city."

  
"Are you guys the only ones on patrol here?" Jo asked. The guards simply shook their heads. "Ah." Jo said in understanding.

  
The hospital crew boarded the shuttle and were taken -after taking hold of their hospital ship- to the big city of Ugnorgrad. Their shuttle landed on a docking port and they all entered the big city. Everyone beheld the shiny, but a bit dark, city. Some would say it looked like a city taken straight from Coruscant, except the lights and transports were the only signs of electricity as far as the eye could see. There were many tall buildings in view, and only a couple taxi ships were flying out in the sky.

  
"Well, seems nice." Jo said.

  
"Squeak squeak."

  
"Ugnaughts aren't the only ones inhabiting the city, he said." The translator said.

  
"Where would we be without you?" Jo asked, lightly laughing.

  
"Probably plunging down to the center of the gas giant below us." He replied with a grin. As Jo's face dropped, he immediately took it back. "Sorry."

  
"Wait, what's gonna happen to _our_ shuttle?" Jo asked. The guards seemed to perk their heads up at that, and squeaked simultaneously.

  
. . . "They said _'uh oh.'_ "

  
Everyone followed the running guards back outside, and ended up seeing more guards surrounding the hospital shuttle.

  
"They're demanding that we step out of the ship? What's going on?" The Ugnaught responded, saying in Ugnaught, " _I forgot to tell you. Whenever we 'tow' a ship, it usually belongs to criminals who try invading_."

  
"You guys must be very efficient to hold off criminals."

  
" _Actually_ , _we've only done it once_ , _and that was a test run_."

  
As conversation went on, the sound faded in Jo's ears as he ended up hearing a sound he had never heard before. It sounded like a monotonous flute, like a continuous deep whistle. 'The force?' He asked himself. _'What do I do? What would Master Luke say?'_ ... ***snap*** _'That's it.'_ He then closed his eyes, and did his best to focus. The whistle continued ringing in his ears, and he thought nothing was working; he didn't notice himself walking towards the edge of the platform.  
Everyone else noticed, and shouted after him, but as they ran after him, they found themselves surrounded by droid guards with deadly-looking spears. The Ugnaught guards squeaked something to them, which made them stand down. Everyone else then started running to catch Jo, but stopped as they found him sitting on the edge.

  
" _He's meditating_." One of the guards said.

  
"How do you know?" The translator asked.

  
" _An Ugnaught Jedi was once among our midst_. _Treetower_. _He did stuff like this all the time_."

  
"That's interesting." The translator quickly said as he saw Jo stand up and, to their relief, turn around towards them.

  
"What happened Jo?" He was asked as he reached them.

  
"I... honestly don't know. I had a moment with the force."

  
"You don't say?" One of the pilots said, earning a light punch in the shoulder by the other pilot.

  
" _Now we're to escort you to his majesty_ , _King Ozz_."

  
"Oh! We get to meet the king." The translator said.

  
"Oh wow! I didn't know we could gain recognition that fast." Jo said.

  
" _Smart kid_."... " _The king is who decides who does what around here_. _We can tell him of your work specialty and he can have you stated in one of our hospitals_."

  
"Well, shall we?" Jo gestured inside the city.

  
\---

  
Kylo Ren was on his way to dispatch a fleet to Bespin; he exited an elevator and went through a hallway, met by an officer. "Dispatch a fleet to Bespin. The Supreme Leader requires the immediate retrieval of a kyber crystal."

  
The officer, working at a control booth, drew his eyes upward with some surprise and curiosity. He faced Kylo and asked, "Yes, but, do we really need a fleet to retrieve a cystal?"

  
. . .

  
Kylo approached him closely before answering, "By now, the crystal will be guarded heavily, so, **_yes_**." Kylo said before choking him in the air. "And you are **_not_** in any position to be questioning orders."

  
"Yes sir." The officer said with every breath he could obtain. Then he was dropped to the ground, stumbling as he stood back up. Kylo speedily walked out of the room with the last order, "Dispatch the fleet."

  
\---

  
"Ma'am." A Resistance soldier called as he handed over a datapad. "Spies in Bespin have reported a sighting of a kyber crystal." An elderly hand took the datapad as it was observed. "What are our orders?"

  
"If the First Order gets their hands on this crystal, they could do a significant amount of damage. Do whatever must be done to aquire it." General Leia replied.

  
"Yes ma'am." The soldier said.

 

 


	5. Chapter 5

  
Chapter 5

  
Jo and the others arrived at the palace of King Ozz. It didn't look too imposingly grand; it was big, but wore the colors of the buildings of the rest of the city.

  
"This is the palace?" The translator asked.

  
" _It is_."

  
"Huh. Considering the recent annexations of the First Order, disguising a palace to look like any other building is pretty smart."

  
" _King Ozz isn't like any other king_. _He doesn't want to show of all his glory_ , _rather he shares it_. _When it comes to trials_ , _he's very strict_ ; _but presenting people like all of you_ , _he always finds a place_."

  
"Sounds like a nice guy." Jo replied as they entered the front doors. There, they saw the glory.

  
"Okay wow. He must like being practical." One of the pilots said. Everything they could see was so elegant. The walls were a bright, sky blue, featuring big, clean and shiny windows. Marble pillars held the fifty foot rooves up in place. Their sight-seeing was soon limited as droid guards surrounded.

  
"What's this?" The translator asked.

  
" _We always have escorts_. _We often pass very frail and special objects when we go this way_ , _and we don't want to risk any of them breaking_."

  
"I see."

  
        They walked straight for a minute before guards opened up bright red doors that were heightened to the ceiling. They were lead inside the room, then the guards scattered to different areas of the room. Everyone saw a throne, but no king in its place. The Ugnaught guards were also confused. Then, a door on the other side of the room opened, and King Ozz ran, as fast as his little legs could carry him, to his seat and sat down.

  
The Ugnaught king had a facial hair around his head. A moustache connected to his sideburns, which went up with a mop of blue hair on his scalp. He wore a decent green uniform, not too grand, but not too basic. " _Who have you brought before me now_?"

  
" _They are doctors_ , _your highness_."

  
" _Doctors_? _For how long_? _And are they good doctors_?"

  
" _Well your highness_ ,-"

  
Jo and most others watched the two squeak back and forth in complete obliviousness.

  
"Kinda entertaining huh?" One of the pilots asked Jo, who lightly nodded in response while still confused.

  
One short moment passed, and the chatter died down.

  
" _How long have you all been doctors?_   _And what are your levels of expertise_?"

  
"He asked about our skills as doctors." The translator said. " _We've worked as experts for years_. _We work especially well in neurosurgery_."

  
The king pondered in some wonder, yet some doubt. One detail he noticed, he just had to ask about. He snapped his fingers, and a droid guard came up and gave him a small chip-like device, which he swallowed. "How come there are only six of you? Shouldn't there be more?"

  
"There **_should_ ** be." Jo mumbled, looking away and clenching his fists.

  
"You see sir, there was... a slight accident. A couple of thugs... blew up our hospital yesterday, and we came here in hopes to start our work again. Your highness, we're all that's left. Let us expand our business here; we can help anyone. Cure anything."

  
"Anything?"

  
"Anything."

  
"To me it sounds a bit far fetched to me. Can you prove it?"

  
"Absolutely. Anyone that needs to be healed?"

  
. . .

  
" _If I may_?" An Ugnaught guard asked.

  
"Go on."

  
" _I have a sick daughter_. _She has been ill for a very long time_ , _and we think she may reach her end soon_." He said a little shakily.

  
"Well If you will, lead us to her." Jo said.

  
"Your highness. You up for the trip?" The translator asked.

  
"HA! I'm not one of _those_ **_lazy_ ** kings. Let's go."

  
"This guy's not bad. Not at all what I expected of a king." One of the pilots said.

  
"That's the stereotype talking to you." Jo said, grinning and following everyone else.

  
"That's a... _big_ word for someone your age." The pilot replied.

  
Jo stopped in his tracks.

  
\----

  
        _Young Jo and Kell were messing around. Kell had Jo in a light headlock; Jo was working with one arm, trying to pull Kell's arm from his own neck, while he was lightly elbowing Kell in the stomach. Kell was letting out fake grunts, trying not to laugh at the same time. All of a sudden, Jo bit Kell's arm. Kell suddenly pulled back, wincing a little bit. He looked up at Jo with a look on his face that looked like he was about to laugh. But Kell held it back, as to not encourage his action._

  
_"Jo. We shouldn't bite." Kell said._

  
_"Oh, sorry. I was just outmaneuvering your headlock." Jo said._

  
_Kell laughed. "Big word for your age, but I don't think that means what you think it means."_

  
_"I'm still learning."_

  
_"Indeed you are." Kell said, ruffling Jo's hair. "You're a fast learner, too."_

  
_"No-Not only that, b-but I can think quickly too!" Jo said, excitedly. "Just give me a hard question, and I'll-"_

  
_"Ha ha. Jo, you don't need to show me; I believe you." Kell stood back up. "Now it's time for work."_

  
_"Aw." Jo murmured, disappointed. "When can I come?"_

  
_"Actually," Kell kneeled back down, "I talked to the others about your skill set, and about a possible **small** -time job there. If you handle it well, it could evolve into something bigger."_

  
_Jo lit up, waving his forearms around in the air and softly jumped up and down. Once he calmed down, he hugged Kell tightly. "Thankyouthankyouthankyou!"_

  
_"You're welcome, kiddo." Kell said, returning the hug. "Let's get going." They stood up and started walking out. "You're going to do some wonderful things in the future, Jo. I know it."_

  
_\---_

  
Jo awoke back to reality as he saw and heard a snap directly inches from his face.

  
"Jo. Are you alright?" One of the scientists asked.

  
"Yeah, why?"

  
"Well, you got a little... carried away." The pilot replied, sliding a finger down his cheek. Jo wiped a finger across his cheek and looked at it, and saw a tear drop from his finger.

  
"Just a flashback." Jo said quietly.

  
"Well, we were on our way to heal the guard's daughter?" The translator reminded him.

  
"Ah yes. We-we should get going." Jo said as they all made their way out to the hall, on their way out to the door.

  
"I assume that had something to do with the fact that he's one of the only one of you guys left?" The king asked -with a whisper- one of the scientists.

  
"I don't know, your highness. He was just complemented for using a big word."

  
"Sounds like a fatherly gesture. Say, who is his father?"

  
"Bit of a touchy subject for him. The closest thing he had to a father was Kell. Practically head of the hospital we all formerly worked in, friend to all of us, father figure to Jo."

  
"Sounds like a noble man."

  
"And I didn't even say that much about him."

  
The king chuckled. "Well, I'll see to it Jo gets treated well."

  
"I'm sure he would appreciate it."

  
\---

  
Less than an hour later, they all arrived at the house of the guard. They were met by the guard's wife and most of his children; they were weeping outside, waiting for him. He ran up to them and asked what was going on, and he did not receive the answer he wanted. He fell to his knees, crying with them.

  
"Oh no." The king said.

  
Jo's look intensified, with not only sadness, but determination. He headed towards the guard's door, and whistled to gain his attention. He looked up at Jo, who gestured his head inside. The guard got up and faced him. " _It's too late._ "

  
"He said, _'It's too late.'_ "

  
"No." Jo said. "No it's not too late." He finished rather loudly. Hearing this, the guard's family looked up, stood up slowly and followed them inside, not noticing the crowd beginning to gather.

  
They all saw a table in the middle of the empty room, and on the table was a blanket covering a body.

  
" _I'm telling you_ , _it's too late_."

  
The translator replied in Ugnaught, "You might think so, but Jo here has ways around it."

  
Jo kneeled down beside the table, slipped a hand under the blanket and placed it on the guard's daughter's forehead, then on her arm.

  
"Don't cry; she's not dead, but only sleeping."

  
The family laughed with some offence, " _That's not funny_."

  
        Jo stood up and stretched his arms out and focused on the force. He got down on his knees and hovered his arms above the body. Green electricity spewed from all over his arms and off his fingertips, onto the chest, above the heart. _'Suppose I should've asked if they had defibrilators beforehand_. _Guess I'll have to make do.'_ Jo focused even harder, then thrust his hands forward slightly, then an extra burst of electricity shot out and jolted the body. Jo stopped to see if it worked. And sure enough, it did.

  
_"Of course it did. That's how clichés work. *Internal gasp* I just discovered fourth wall breaking. And it isn't even the first time people have read me doing it. *another internal gasp* I did it again!"_

  
The Ugnaught girl rose from the table slowly, and everyone else gasped. She rubbed her eyes and looked around; once she fully regained consciousness, she squealed in delight and dashed towards her family, hugging them.

  
Then they heard a cheer from outside. They saw people freaking out from the other side of the window. The father squealed and got up and covered the windows with lightning speed.

  
Jo laughed a little bit and smiled.

  
The Ugnaught guard then came over and shook Jo's hand, thanking him a million times. Jo decided to have a little fun and let his mechanichal fingers fall off his hand. The guard simply remained still and wide-eyed as he stared at the fingers in his hand.

  
" _He has mechanical arms_." The translator said as Jo connected the fingers back on his hands, still laughing.

  
"I'm sure he knows I have mechanical arms." Jo said. The translator perked up in shock. "What?"

  
"You understood what I said?!" He asked.

  
"I've heard enough Ugnaught around, that my mechanical brain has computed the language for me, so yes, I can understand a little bit now."

  
The guard's family then celebrated the resurrection.

  
\---

  
Jo was relaxing atop of a building under the darkening afternoon sky. The translator ( _think it's about time I started giving names_ ), Errol Zanedi, joined him up top soon. "You kept the crystals?"

  
"You didn't notice?" Jo asked.

  
"Oh." He remembered Jo's refurbished arm. "Yes." He waited a moment before asking, "How did you... do what you did?"

  
"I dunno, I guess, it just felt right. Focusing the energy and power. Did Kell tell you I'm a quick thinker?"

  
"You sound older than you are. And maybe, he might have."

  
"You come up here for a reason?"

  
"You said we couldn't continue our business with the crystal because it might get the First Order involved. Well, what if we _don't_ use that big crystal? _You_ are able to heal people with what you have."

  
"I don't know. I feel like, by doing that, I'm taking it for granted. Kyber crystals aren't your ordinary crystals; the force is their aura. I think if we abuse its power, we'll make it bleed."

  
"Bleed?"

  
. . .

  
"Ever seen a sith?"

  
"Can't say I have."

  
"Well, you wouldn't understand then; it's hard to explain."

  
"...Alright. We'll be heading back soon, just so you know."

  
"A'ight." Then Jo was alone again, looking into the still-darkening afternoon sky.

  
"You there, uh, Jo." King Ozz shouted from below. Jo acknowledged him and jumped down.

  
"Your majesty?"

  
"You know, I've never seen anything like what you did. How did you do it?"

  
. . .

  
"Uhhhh-" Jo was at a total loss for words. "The... force." He mumbled.

  
Ozz turned his head sideways, leaning his ear towards Jo. "Eh?"

  
"I... think it was the force." He said quietly.

  
"Child, are you a Jedi?"

  
"HAHA! Absolutely not. I barely started training with Luke Skywalker before things... went awry."

  
"Luke Skywalker?"

  
"Yep. The ancient Jedi master, who has apparently disappeared."

  
"Well I can't do anything to help _that_."

  
"Master Luke does what he wants. That's for sure."

  
"No, I meant to help your Jedi skills."

  
"Well, I'm not sure there's much to be helped. I heal people, I don't want to kill anyone."

  
"That's a bit of a leap. And believe me, most of the people I know that have said that, have ended up becoming exactly that."

  
"You saying I just jinxed myself?"

  
"Yah."

  
"Okay."

  
"You can't fight the future; it will come. Your destiny may already be sealed; don't try to delay it."

  
Jo comprehended the statement before replying, "Can't argue with that."

  
"Indeed. Well, it's almost evening; you should get going with your friends."

  
Jo heard something, and turned his head towards the end of the city. "Yeah, yeah okay."

  
        As King Ozz went off, Jo started towards the docking port. He started running with a speed he didn't know he had. Idea popping in his head, he closed his eyes and channeled the force to boost him upward, so he could get to the entrance to the port. Once he stuck the landing, he stood beside the door and looked out. He saw guards patrolling. Then, he heard the sound again. The whistle rung in his ear again. He sped out to the edge of the platform, and looked down. The guards noticed, but knew that he wasn't harmful. _'What does the force want with me here?'_ Jo asked himself. _'Is there something that wants to be found?'_ ... _'Worth a shot.'_

  
Jo reached out and tried using the force to pull whatever it was he was looking for towards him. He thought it was working; he felt the force flowing through him, but he didn't see anything coming towards him. _'Close your eyes and focus.'_ He told himself. _'Clear your mind. Don't let anything distract you.'_ He encouraged. _'Use the force. Use the force... Use the-'_

  
        Suddenly, he dozed off into a brief vision. He saw a mysterious adult man with slightly long, almost shoulder-length brown hair, and a scar across his right eye. The man was holding a lightsaber. Then he saw the man fade, and the lightsaber drop. Then he saw a blonde teenager in an old, ragged outfit, and he was then holding the lightsaber. A brunette teenage girl appeared with him; then, he saw him. Ben Solo appeared with her. The lightsaber dropped as the other male he saw faded, and the lightsaber remained with no possessor.

  
        Jo freaked out and fell on his back. Though he didn't recognize anyone else he saw, he knew Ben Solo was supposed to be next in line in a family of Jedi. But he also knew that Ben Solo was no Jedi. _'Who will take his place?'_ Jo thought. He then felt something in his hand, and he pressed the button on it. Then he heard the satisfying hum of plasma energy emitting from the silver cylinder in his hand. He picked it up more and observed it. 

 

  
        Jo then realized he was holding the lightsaber he saw. _'Wait.'_ Jo thought for a second, and remembered a "history lesson" he had with Luke. _'Holy stars, this is Master Luke's first lightsaber!'._.."And I have it."... His face dropped a little bit as he thought about what to do with it. He knew this lightsaber had to be somewhere, with someone, but he had no idea what to do. He felt as though a butt-load of responsibility was going to be put on him. And he realized if he was going to do something, he couldn't do it on Bespin. He would have to leave.

  
"Looks like I have a date with destiny."

  
\---

  
Meanwhile, the First Order and Resistance ships were on their way to Bespin.

 


	6. Chapter 6

  
Chapter 6

  
Jo went back in town, and there, an escort was waiting for him. Jo shoved the lightsaber in his uniform as he asked, "What's this?"

  
"His majesty has invited you and your friends to feast with him."

  
"...Okay. Any particular reason?" Jo asked as he hopped inside the speeder they had.

  
"He didn't say; but hey, we don't question." One of the escort guards replied. They drove all the way back to the palace; on the way, Jo continued thinking about what to do.

  
\---

  
King Ozz, Jo, and everyone else was in a dining hall. A long -but not too long- table stretched out, providing just enough room for them to sit on either side. An elegant red cover was placed on the table, along with plentiful amounts of food and drink.

  
"Welcome friends." King Ozz said.

  
"The pleasure is all ours, your highness." Jo said as they all bowed, and rose.

  
"I'd beg to differ; we haven't had any good doctors around for a long time. As we feast, we shall discuss the future of your business."

  
Everyone sat down, and began. King Ozz got to speak with everyone except Jo; Jo was a bit quiet, and that didn't go unnoticed. "Jo, what's up?" One of the scientists, Ran Kanu, asked.

  
"I've just felt a disturbance in the force." Jo replied.

  
"That's a first. What about?"

  
"It feels as if something bad is going to happen."

  
"Oh Jo, you're just stressed. Relax and enjoy."

  
"Afterwards, I will provide you with all the clothing you need. it seems like you haven't had any for a while."

  
"Oh yes. We'd be grateful." Errol said.

  
"Ever since we've arrived, you've treated us with royalty. What's so special about us?" Jo asked King Ozz.

  
"Like I said, we haven't had doctors in a while. To have doctors like you here gives many of us hope. And to keep good doctors in good condition, they need to be well-treated."

  
Jo sighed and stood. "Your highness, may I speak to you?"

  
Ozz recognized the tone, and figured it couldn't be good news. "Well, alright."

  
They excused themselves and stood in another room. "I have a bad feeling that something bad is about to happen."

  
"What kind of 'something bad?' "King Ozz asked suspiciously.

  
"Like an attack. The First Order could be getting involved."

  
"What do they have here to get involved in?"

  
Jo made sure to keep a low whisper, "A _big_ kyber crystal."

  
"Oh that's definitely something to get involved with; but no worries, I received word that there was one concealed in your ship and had it safely delivered here."

  
"Really? Where is it?" Jo asked.

  
"Below us."

  
. . .

  
Jo slowly looked down. Shortly after, he looked back up with a grin and said, "Secret bunker?"

  
"Secret bunker." Ozz confirmed, chuckling when he finished.

  
"Well, that's not all." Jo continued.

  
"Eh?"

  
"It's hard to explain, but I feel like I'm going to have some deep feud with the First Order if we confront them."

  
Ozz stroked his chin, then asked, "The First Order itself? Or specifically someone within the ranks of the First Order?"

  
"Bit of a leap, but yeah it could be someone."

  
Just then, a guard burst into the room and squealed, " _We have invaders_."

  
"It's them. I'm sure of it." Jo said.

  
"Prepare for battle." The King ordered the guard.

  
Just then, another guard dashed in and said, " _The Resistance is here_."

  
"The Resistance?! What do they want?"

  
"They probably want the crystal as well."

  
"What for?"

  
"I don't know! To keep it from the First Order, I guess." Jo freaked, shrugging.

  
"Well, at least the Resistance is on our side."

  
Jo thought for a moment, then got an idea. With an uneasy expression, he requested, "Your highness. Permission to take the crystal from harmful hands and retreat?"

  
"Why not let the Resistance have it?"

  
"Only Jedi have the capability to properly contain the power of a crystal like that."

  
"Well... Permission granted. I'll have it brought up."

  
Jo just nodded with a blank expression. The others soon were present. "What's happening?" Errol asked.

  
"The First Order." Jo answered.

  
Everyone's expressions went dark with shock.

  
"Alright." One of the pilots, Tal Nuiv, exclaimed, picking a blaster out of his pockets. "Let's get to work."

  
Everyone exited the room, following the guards; King Ozz stopped Jo. "Before you go," He said, holding out a closed hand. "Accept this gift." He dropped the objects in Jo's hand. "As a reminder that you have friends in high places." Jo opened his hand and stared into the wonderous glow of two orange kyber crystals. "I have a feeling those will come in handy someday." He then chuckled.

  
Jo grinned, and held the crystals close. Then made a run for the door. "Thank you. Thank you your highness."

  
"Hold on." Ozz held up a small bag. "Put those in here."

  
Jo slapped his forehead and said, "Duh." He took the bag and dropped the crystals in it and sealed it shut.

  
I want to see it when it's done."

  
Jo smirked, then left, and soon King Ozz was the only one in the room. He looked over to a book shelf and walked over to it; he pulled on a book, and the shelf started twisting. "It's time." He said.

  
\---

  
Jo and the others appeared outside and saw the First Order and Resistance ships battling it out. Buildings were crumbling and a portion of the area of the city dome was in flames.

"Oh no." Jo breathlessly said, his voice shaky. But he knew this was no time for standing around doing nothing; suddenly, he got another idea. "Hey." He said dramatically, turning his head slightly. "Are any of you fighters?"

  
"Yes." Most of them replied.

  
"Guards?"

  
" _We're ready to serve_."

  
"They're with you." Errol said.

  
"Alright. Those of you who do not fight, stay here with me and defend the palace while the crystal gets secured. The others, go have some fun; at the same time, bring the civilians to safety."

  
"Got it." Nema Gundo, the other pilot, acknowledged the request and they all charged down.

  
"You guys ready?" Jo asked.

  
"Not really. We aren't fighters; how will we defend yourselves?"

  
. . .

  
"Are there any defense systems for the outer area?" Jo asked one of the guards. "And aren't you a fighter?"

  
"Not exactly. I've only recently begun combat training."

  
"He has only recently begun combat training, he said." One of the droid guards said.

  
"Aren't you droid guards fighters?" Jo asked.

  
"Only when combat mode is activated." The droid replied.

  
"How do you activate it?" Jo asked.

  
" _Activate combat mode_." The other Ugnaught guard said. The droid then started shifting itself, transforming into a more lethal-looking machine. The Ugnaught guard then jumped on and sat in it.

**_(I'm not good with designs; just imagine a bulky IG-88 type of droid, but it can transform into something like this.)_ **

  


  
"Wow. I'm _really_ starting to like this place."

  
"Now, we got work to do. Defend the palace." Jo said.

  
Then, a couple TIEs started flying their way, blasting at them. Jo struck a defensive position, arms our forward a few inches. The guard then blasted down the TIEs with the droid's guns.

  
"Oh. Good job."

  
\---

  
The rest of the group were in the streets, looking for other civilians running from danger. They spotted groups coming forward, running for their lives. "Alright guys let's do this." Ran Kanu said.

  
As the group approached, everyone started guiding them to the castle, waving them along and shouting, "Everyone head on to the palace! Hurry!"

  
As the group started thinning out, stormtroopers arrived from the trooper carriers and started blasting. Everyone ran to the side and used the alleys for temporary cover. The troopers started blasting as they came around the corner, and so did the others.

  
As the stormtroopers blasted one of their blasters out of his hands, Resistance soldiers came from behind and shot the First Order troops down. The others approached the soldiers and said, "The civilians are heading towards the palace; they'll be safe there. We're down here to guide others in the line of fire there too. "The leader nodded and they started down the road to find others.

  
\---

  
The teenage Kylo Ren stepped out onto the battlefield from his shuttle. He looked as far as he could see for the crystal. Not finding it, he closed his eyes and searched for its force-aura.

  
"It's in the palace. Deploy a squad with me and we'll take it by force." He commanded, opening his eyes and igniting his three blades. As the squad marched on, a Resistance team stood in their way; they started shooting them, but Kylo swung his lightsaber around, deflecting each one back at them.

  
\---

  
King Ozz rushed outside and saw the massacre happening. 'And this was a place of peace.'

  
"King Ozz!" Jo exclaimed.

  
"Ah!" Ozz snapped back from his memory. "The crystal is ready for departure. Just run on to the back of the palace, and the ship will be there."

  
"What about you?"

  
"HA! I'm always ready for battle. Now go." He said. With a thrust of his arm, a metallic staff whipped out from his sleeve. It was decorated with fiery imprints, and wrapped around it on the bottom was a head with five horns; on the upper side, one with seven horns.

  
Jo turned to leave, but a split second later, he whipped his head back and saw people approaching. He looked closer and saw the menacing red, serrating blade. He widened his eyes and said, "Your majesty! You can't fight what's coming; you must go, too."

  
"I am never one to run from a fight."

  
Jo hesitantly nodded and ran off.

  
\---

  
As Jo ran through the halls, he remembered his friends. They were in the battle field, guiding people to the palace. _'Might there be enough room to fit people on the shuttle?'_ He thought. But there was no time for him to stall, so he continued running.

  
He arrived in the back of the palace, where he found an emergency shuttle prepared for him. He could see the crystal through the giant crate under it. He immediately jumped in and the pilots started taking off. "The king is in the front. He's going to fight." Jo shouted over the engines.

  
"There something you want us to do?" One of the pilots asked.

  
Jo brainstormed for only a couple seconds, then smirked.

  
\---

  
Kylo and his team approached the front steps of the palace and ascended.

**_[Kinda looks like this. Just imagine bright, gray skies (more blaster fire in the background; no sand), and there are stairs in front of Kylo and the troopers.]_ **

  
  


  
King Ozz stood in their way. His staff whirled around, and he stanced himself.

  
The combat droid fired at the group, but Kylo swung and the bolt flew back to the core and blew up the droid.

  
One of the stormtroopers raised his blasters and fired at Ozz, but Ozz swung and deflected it back through him.

  
Kylo's gaze averted between Ozz and the dead soldier. He then poised himself and his blade.

  
"You won't win this." Kylo said.

  
"There's more to me than meets the eye." Ozz said, swinging the staff from right to left. As it swung, the First Order patrol was shoved back.

  
Kylo regained balance, then quietly asked, "What is that?"

  
"One of the many unknown relics to be used against a force-weilder. _This_ , will be your downfall."

  
"Your pride will be yours." Kylo said before charging. He swung down, but the staff resisted the blade.

  
"Who's the prideful one?" Ozz asked, pushing him off and striking thrice, for their blades to end up being locked in place. "If you think you can defeat your opponent without knowing anything about him, if you underestimate him, then it will be your biggest mistake."

  
Kylo released and swung around. Ozz raised the staff and pointed it down to avoid the chest strike, then he pulled upwards an swung again, pushing Kylo off balance. He ran and knocked him down.

  
"The young one has much to learn." Ozz said.

  
"Don't just stand there!" Kylo shouted at his troopers.

  
" ** _HEY_**!" A younger voice shouted from above. Everyone looked up and saw Jo in the shuttle. Jo reached inside his cloak, pulled out and ignited the blue lightsaber he kept. Kylo caught the sight, then noticed Ozz wasn't looking. He threw his arm forward and thrust the blade at him, but the tip didn't penetrate.

  
Ozz looked back down at him, then said, "When you're the king, you can have such bountiful resources. Such as: lightsaber proof material."

  
Kylo used the force to make him stand still, then made him pass out. "Get him onboard and take _that_ ship _down_." He said, pointing to the shuttle. "We can't let the Resistance get the crystal."

  
Jo's reflexes were put to the test as six First Order gunners fired rapidlly on him, the ship and the cargo. "Hope the force doesn't let me down." He said, swinging the blue blade and blocking some of the blasts. Once he realized he didn't have enough training to be able to properly deflect, he shouted to the pilot, "Go now!"

  
"Aye aye." The ship swerved and moved forward.

  
"Go _around_ the battlefield."

  
"What about everyone else?"

  
"We'll lead them away and pick them up." Jo replied. 'If I can, I'll take them with me.' "Just don't go straight through the battlefield."

  
"Got it."

  
\---

  
Kylo saw the ship fly out of range, then looked down at his troopers coming back to bring Ozz to a ship. As they carried the body away, Kylo ignited his lightsaber and -with frustrated shouts- sliced up a nearby bush. When he retracted the blade, he looked over and saw his troopers staring at him. " ** _Get going_**!" He shouted, startling them. " ** _And have all available guns fire on that ship_**."

  
The leader of the pack activated the comm inside his helmet and told the entire First Order squad to target the shuttle trying to leave the battlefield.

  
The last thing Jo remembered was the ship mostly being blown down, but -miraculously- smoothly landed.

  
\---

  
Jo woke in the dirt, very sore. He got up, rubbing his arms. "Wait, how can I be sore? I don't even understand the physics of how I'm sore." ...

  
_'Whedon!'_

  
He looked down and found the lightsaber by him. He picked it up and placed it on his belt. Then he noticed Resistance troopers approached him from behind. "Sir! Exc-" _'Wait. A boy?'_ "Hey there." The Resistance General called out.

  
Jo turned and faced him, then noticed the crashed ship next to him. He ran to the front of the cockpit to find out if the pilot survived; but sure enough, he didn't. Small streams of blood dripped from the pilot's head. "Help! Help me get him out!" Jo shouted. The soldiers ran over by his side. They reached in and pulled the body out, and laid him on the ground.

  
"Now what?" The General asked.

  
"Just watch." Jo said. He outstretched his arms and closed his eyes, waiting for the miracle to happen. But it didn't.

  
Jo opened his eyes and saw nothing happen. He looked in his arm, then saw the slot broken, and no crystal in his arm. He started to panic, then started looking around on the ground.

  
"Kid." One of the soldiers said, "What are you looking for?"

  
 _'Where is the crystal?'_ Jo thought, scrounging around in the dirt. _'The crystal!'_ He ran back over to the shuttle, paced around it and found the carrier that was under it. He looked through a hole and was relieved to see it still stable.

  
"Were you the one in possession of the crystal?" The General asked.

  
Jo looked back and answered, "Yes."

  
"We need to extract the crystal and get it away from First Order hands." The General said as his squad approached.

  
"I can't let you. The power this crystal holds could wipe out the Resistance if accidentally harmed or misused."

  
"We have people who specialize with crystals. Just let us do our work." The General insisted.

  
\---

  
Little did they notice -that as they bantered- that First Order ships approached their position, Kylo leading in one. He saw the soldiers, the crystal, and 'the half-metal boy.'

  
"Fire." Kylo ordered.

  
\---

 

"Shhhhh." Jo said, rushing a finger to his half-lip. "Do you hear that?" They heard the whirring of First Order ships, and the blasting of a cannon. He ignited the lightsaber and blocked one of the bolts that sped his way, but the other managed to slip by him, and through one of the holes of the crate. _'Oh no!'_ Jo exclaimed to himself. " _ **Run**_!" He shouted to the troops. They all ran, but the box started melting, and green energy shot out like electricity, striking many places at once. One neared Jo, but he turned and held the lightsaber in front of him, holding the shot back. But it took a lot of strength, and it pushed him back.

 

He saw First Order ships move overhead, fire more at the crystal, then fly out of way. "It's _going to_ **_explode_**!" Jo said, scurrying to his feet and running as fast as he could. He was luckily out of range when the crystal sent an explosive repulse within a several-yard-radius. Once it abated, Jo looked back, and saw fried Resistance bodies, not out of range. "A tragic day indeed." Jo mumbled, saluting the soldiers, and running off.

  
Very soon, another shuttle came for him, but it was a royal shuttle. He saw Ugnaught guards and boarded inside. He ran up and jumped in.

  
"Turn around and pick up the crystal." Jo ordered.

  
One of the guards questioned him, and Jo replied, "Yes, they're after it, but we're not letting them have it without _letting them have it_." Jo said, punctuating by punching his palm. "You find any of them, blow them out of the sky.

  
Turns out droids were flying; once they heard Jo's command, they obeyed, and turned around. A short moment later, they saw the box, and First Order ships were arriving to pick up the crystal.

  
"Do **_not_ ** let them obtain the crystal!" Jo commanded, watching the scene unfold from the cockpit. The ship fired upon the three First Order ships surrounding the crystal, shortly disposing of two. One of them flew up and fought back.

  
 _'Can't you use the force or something?'_ One of the Ugnaughts asked.

  
"Oh yeah." Jo said. He reached both hands out and tried pushing the ship to the ground, but when he tried, he was only yanked forward; he crashed on the control panel, but quickly recovered. "Okay I'm not that strong." Then...

  
*ding*

  
"Open the hatch." He ordered. One of the droids pressed a button and the side door opened. Jo took the lightsaber, ignited it, and threw it at the ship. He used the force to keep it ignited, and the saber landed blade-first in the engines of the ship. Jo pulled the saber back to him, and the door closed. The First Order ship tumbled down. "Get the cryatal." Jo said as the ship swooped down over the crystal. An entrance opened from the bottom of the shuttle, and a claw descended and picked up the crystal. It hauled it up -and the bottom closed- and carefully placed it on the ground of the ship. "Now take us to the nearerst planet uninhabited by the First Order." The ship flew up and out of sight.

  
\---

  
Kylo pulled himself up from the wreckage and saw as the ship entered hyperspace.

 


	7. Chapter 7

  
Chapter 7

  
"So where are we headed?" Jo asked. He was laying down on the floor of the shuttle, bored from the somewhat lengthy ride.

  
"We are headed to... Takodana." The droid pilot responded.

  
"Never heard of _that_ place." Jo said, lifting his head before getting up. "Can you tell me anything about it?"

  
"Takodana is one of the few worlds not in possession of the First Order." The droid answered.

  
"I knew _that_. Do you know anything else?"

  
. . .

  
"Green... Lots of green."

  
"Really?"

  
" _The King doesn't leave Bespin very often, so he couldn't program the droids with enough proper knowledge of foreign worlds_." One of the Ugnaught guards said. The droid translated.

  
"Doesn't he have any resources?"

  
" _When people hear 'resource', they usually think they mean 'spy.' So he didn't send anyone out; he didn't want to take a risk of anything getting out of hand due to a miscommunication_ "

  
"Are you telling me he's just afraid of doing something that would damage his reputation? He's a king. He should do what he needs to do. Nothing wrong with gaining knowledge of other planets."

  
" _No one's perfect_."

  
"But they can be changed. No matter what the person does, there can always be a turning point."

  
Jo realized his words.

  
\---

  
Kylo aggressively stepped through to the bridge of the lead star destroyer. "Get me a checklist of all charted systems with hyperspace lanes from this direction."

  
"Yes sir."

  
\---

  
"Approaching destination." The droids simultaneously stated. The ship exited hyperspace, and there floated -and they beheld- the beautiful sphere of swirling blue, green, and white.

  
"Woah! It looks like a storm of grass, water, and clouds." Jo said.

  
"Planets cannot be storms." A droid corrected.

  
"Gas giants can be."

  
"Takodana is not a gas giant."

  
"I can see that."

  
"Detecting an error in the engine and thrusters." The other droid proclaimed.

  
"How?"

  
"A rupture has occured due to a cannon strike."

  
"How could this have been damaged and we didn't know?"

  
" _Well_ -" An Ugnaught guard started, " _On our way to pick you up, we may have run into a little trouble_."

  
"And you didn't think to fix it?" Jo asked.

  
" _It wasn't too bad; we thought we could make it out of the battle_."

  
"Well it has worked so far. And if we only figured it out now, then we should be able to land before-"

  
"Engine overheating." A droid said.

  
"That's not good."

  
**_BOOM_ **

  
"What are the odds this of all things would happen at this time of all time?"

  
"Odds of engine failure right after arriving at destinat-"

  
" ** _Don't_ ** tell me!" Jo shouted as they neared the atmosphere and the shuttle started flaming up.

  
As the ship was in flames, descending down to the planet surface, Jo noticed the heat and energy was getting to the crystal, and it was starting to glow, which meant, "The crystal's gonna blow! Oh hey that rhymes."

  
"Take the escape pods!" The guard said as everyone ran, steadily, to the escape pods and jumped in.

  
        Jo looked, and saw the crystal getting brighter, then the doors closed, and the pods launched. Jo was jerked around, but he managed to hang on to the seat.  
Jo looked out and saw all the pods coming from the ship, and the ship itself was falling apart. Everyone was moving safely away from the ship, but everything was blocked from his view as trees got in the way. He only had a split second to recognize that before he hit the ground hard. Jo's half metal face kept him from obtaining any serious damage.

  
"Hello! Is anyone there?!" Jo heard from outside.

  
" ** _In here_**!" Jo shouted, standing on the back of the chair and banging on the doors. He tried opening them, but they were jammed. He pounded harder, then shouted again, " ** _The doors are jammed_**!"

  
"Alright, stand back!"

  
Jo went down and used the seat as cover. He heard a laser beam activate, looked up and saw a circle was being formed on the doors. He ducked behind the chair again as the circle dropped. And his savior appeared.

  
"Maz Kanata, at your service! Now come, come child." Maz said, extending her hand. Jo took it, and Maz pulled him out.

  
Maz took a look at the child she rescued, and saw all his metal parts. 'Oh dear!' She exclaimed to herself. "Been through much haven't you?" Maz asked. Jo simply nodded.

  
"And uh, I'm Jo."

  
"Pleasure to meet you, Jo. Now, are you going to be using that pod?" Maz asked, gesturing to the escape pod.

  
"Uh, no." Jo replied.

  
Maz pulled out a backpack, and pulled out an antigrav grapple magnet. She attached it to the pod and pulled. She strained a little bit, then said, "It's stuck pretty good."

  
"I'll help." Jo said. He placed his hands under the pod, in the ground. He closed his eyes and used the force to slowly lift it out of the ground. Once it was easing out, Jo let go. Maz started pushing it up a hill. "My castle is not far. Come now."

  
'You have a castle? Are you royalty?"

  
"Ha ha! No. Its owners were royalty; the castle is now a cantina." Maz replied as Jo followed. Once up the hill, they faced a wall. "Alright, are you strong?"

  
"I guess." Jo shrugged.

  
"I'm going to need you to push me up."

  
"How'd you get here in the first place without help? Have you been in this area before?" Jo said, getting down on a knee and grabbing his arms.

  
"I have, but I never went back this way."

  
"Then why start now?" Jo asked as Maz stepped on his forearm, and he pushed up.

  
When Maz landed, she replied, "Because now I have help." She said, reaching down. "Now, hand me the antigrav magnet and jump on."

  
"Are you sure?" Jo asked, pushing the magnet up and jumping on.

  
"I've lifted heavier." Maz said, pulling it up. Jo jumped down when they reached the top. "My castle is just over there." Maz said, pointing across a pond to a tall, gray building.

  
"Wow! It looks pretty big."

  
\---

  
They arrived at the castle, and Jo looked around. "Does this place have any defense systems?"

  
"Takodana has been a peaceful station for nearly one thousand years, and we haven't posed any threat to the First Order, so we haven't had a need for any."

  
"That wouldn't stop them from seizing control."

  
"Maybe not." Maz said, opening a locked door, and opening it. As they walked in, Jo saw storage units of all kinds, stacked against the walls.

  
"What are these?" Jo asked.

  
"My collection."

  
Jo whistled. Then a thought came to his head. 'You like collecting valuable artifacts?"

  
"It's a hobby. Why?"

  
They reached a room where -it seemed to Jo- she repaired broken stuff and tinkered with similar things of the kind.

  
"Well," Jo reached in his cloak and pulled out the silver cylinder. "You might like this."

  
Maz gasped. "Skywalker's lightsaber!"

  
"You knew him?"

  
"Not really. I only know someone who does." She closely observed the lightsaber. "This lightsaber will make a fine addition to my collection."

  
Maz set the lightsaber down and asked, "Are you a Jedi?"

  
"Hardly. I was barely a youngling before an accident occurred and I couldn't train anymore."

  
"Do _you_ have a lightsaber of your own?"

  
"No, but I have some crystals that might suffice." Jo said, pulling out the box that King Ozz gave him. He opened it, and the two orange crystals shone.

  
"My my. Orange crystals are rare. Might I ask how you got these?"

  
"A story too long for me to tell. I have something I need to do, anyway."

  
"M-m-m. Not in those old things, you don't." Maz said, gesturing to his arms.

  
"What's wrong with my arms?" Jo asked with slight offence.

  
"You need an upgrade."

  
Jo raised his eyebrow in interest.

  
"Luckily, I was able to forsee my meeting with you, so I was able to make necessary preparations."

  
_'Now that's more than a coinciden-... forsee?'_

  
"Are _you_ a Jedi?"

  
"Goodness, no. But I'm quite familiar with the force." She replied, pulling up a box from under a table. "Now, these are not hard to put on. They just need to properly be constructed together, and to thoroughly be tested."

  
"Why do they need to be tested?"

  
"I made a few modifications."

  
"Well then, let's get to work."

  
\---

  
Kylo was facing space, closing his eyes and searching for any trace of the crystal

  
"Sir." An officer called. "We've tracked them to Takodana."

  
_'Takodana.'_

  
"Using an unharmful planet as a defense and place to hide. Typical decision for a child, but that makes it easier for us." Kylo said, turning around. "Set a course."

  
"Right away!" The officer replied.

  
\---

  
"General!" A Resistance soldier shouted. He approached Leia with a report. "I have news."

  
"Did we get it?"

  
"No ma'am." The soldier paused for a second, then read the report. "Some witnesses of ours say they saw a boy, half metal, with the crystal. They say some of our soldiers of ours tried acquiring it, but the boy resisted. The next thing they knew, he caused the crystal to explode and kill them. A shuttle came and picked him up; we tried pulling it to the ground, but they got away."

  
"Search all surrounding systems for the crystal. Don't let anyone else get it."

  
"On it!"

  
As the resistance soldier left, he told another soldier, "Put out an arrest warrant for this child; he's dangerous, and with this crystal, he could do much more damage."

  
\---

  
Jo observed his new metal arms, and grinned widely. "I can't thank you enough, Maz."

  
"It was the least I could do. Try opening the compartments on your wrists."

  
Jo did so, and he saw some strange-looking tech built into his arms. "What are these for?" Maz held up a finger, then reached for Jo's box. Jo then started getting excited; his knees were getting weak, and he was laughing and gasping at the same time. Maz was already holding the crystals, smiling, but waiting for him to calm down.

  
"In order for this procedure to work, you need to be still. Kyber crystals are very delicate." Maz said, carefully placing the crystals in the slots.

  
Then they heard the whirring of a shuttle. 'What now?' Jo asked himself.

  
They looked out a window, and Jo saw -yet again- First Order ships. The ships flew over and _'away from the castle?'_

  
It immediately snapped to Jo. "Oooooooh man, we should've got the crystal first."

  
"They would've been led here."

  
"Good point, but it's unguarded. I need to protect it." Jo said, running out.

  
"Wait, Jo!" Jo stopped as Maz grabbed his arm. "Try them out." Maz said, patting the metal arm.

  
"How?"

  
"Thrust your arms down."

  
Jo raised his arms up, then jerked them downward, and two orange lightwhips erupted from his writsts.  
"I added some lightsaber-resistant material to your wrists so you won't be able to injure your hands when using them."

  
"Alright. Thanks." Jo said, running out.

  
\---

  
Stormtroopers surrounded the crashed ship, waiting for orders. The procedure to remove the crystal without destruction had to be done with care and ease. Obviously. They were sitting in the center of the wreck; there was a fifty foot radius of ashes from the center all around. 'Something caused the crystal to explode.' was the recurring thought.

  
_Bzhhhhhh-Bzhhhhh_

  
They heard the sound of lightsabers igniting. That's what they thought at least. Jo appeared above them and landed in front of the crystal. The stormtroopers raised their blasters to fire, but a voice called out, " _STOP_!" The stormtroopers were still at alert.

  
Kylo Ren exited the shuttle and approached Jo, who raised his wrists and readied himself.

  
. . .

  
. . .

  
"What do you think you're doing?"

  
"I'm protecting the crystal."

  
"From?"

  
"Bad hands."

  
"Only from a certain point of view."

  
Jo now looked confused. "What?"

  
"From the Resistance's point of view, we're evil. From our point of view, the Resistance and the Republic are evil. There are different aspects of each perspective people tend to miss, and their missing causes a great deal of disagreement and strife."

  
"Your point? What do you say people are missing about the First Order?"

  
"Our view of peace."

  
"Peace?" Jo looked shocked.

  
"Peace doesn't come simply. There needs to be a sense of judgement to ensure the peace we need. The Resistance; the Republic; they're not judgemental enough to secure the galaxy. The First Order will do what the Republic's too afraid to do."

  
"Like murder children in cold blood?"

  
Kylo's expression furrowed. "If... they have blood on their hands."

  
_'I didn't have blood on my hands. Then again, I wasn't murdered. It was attempted murder, but still... He doesn't seem to recognize me. Maybe I can build off that.'_

Jo thought. "And are you calling the Republic evil for not being as strict as the First Order?"

  
"The Republic is built on ashes. It needs to die."

  
"So the First Order can expand on the Republic's ashes? Hypocrytical if you ask me."

  
"We're doing it right."

  
"It's as you said. From a certain point of view."

  
A moment of contemplation.

  
"To me," Jo continued, "It seems that neither side is correct."

  
" _Why_ are you guarding the crystal?"

  
"Much has been taken from it; it is very sensitive now. If misproperly treated, it could go off. A force-sensitive needs to take care of it."

  
"That's what I'm here to do." Kylo said, lifting a rock into the air.

  
"Preferably a Jedi."

  
"There are no Jedi."

  
"I'm looking for Luke Skywalker."

  
. . .

  
"He's gone."

  
"The Resistance will help me look for him."

  
"They won't listen to you."

  
"Why's that?"

  
Kylo turned his head and gestured for a trooper to come closer. The trooper handed him a datapad and returned to his position. Kylo handed the pad to Jo. It was a 'wanted' poster. "They've put out an arrest warrant for you. For resisting to hand the crystal over to them."

  
"This is a simple misunderst-"

  
"This is an example of their weakness. They're so quick to judge, that they judge without thinking. Over time, their idea of 'punishment' wanes to merely discipline."

  
"What's wrong with that?"

  
"People turn down discipline and return to their former state of unlawfulness. When the First Order disciplines, when we judge, they don't cross us again. Then we'll have peace; when people don't even think of disobeying."

  
. . .

  
"We do -what people say- the wrong things for the right reason. In the end, when the First Order rules, there _will_ be, order."

  
. . .

  
"I have been assigned to take care of the crystal." Kylo went sround Jo and stopped at the crystal. "Peraps you would like to assist?" Kylo asked as more of a statement.

  
Jo turned his head. "If I did-"

  
"Then the Resistance would actually have a reason to hunt you. With two of us, we could properly contain the crystal's power." Kylo turned to him. "Join us, and help us finally establish peace to the galaxy."

  
Jo looked around. There were plenty of troopers, and one sith. Kinda. Ships overhead, fully loaded. If he resisted them, he wouldn't make it out alive; he had no help this time. He didn't have a choice. He gave in. He retracted his lightwhips and nodded slowly.

  
"We need to get this crystal out carefully." Kylo said, standing back and stretching his arms to the crystal. Jo did the same.


	8. Chapter 8

  
Chapter 8

  
"Log date... 3-2818. I have pretty much joined the First Order. He has helped me realize a flaw within the galactic government. Though something doesn't feel right; I don't know what. For now, the one who calls himself 'Kylo Ren' has persuaded me to help in experimenting on the giant crystal. I've come such a long way in -what feels like- such little time. I hope all my other friends are alright, and I hope to see them again, soon."

  
"Why are you facing the corner?"

  
"And 'Kylo' has spotted me mumbling into the corner."

  
"I can hear you."

  
"Just because he can hear me doesn't necessarily mean he can understand what I'm saying, so I-"

  
"I can understand what you're saying."

  
. . .

  
"I've been found out."

  
Not really knowing what was going on, Kylo changed the subject and said, "We'll be approaching the base soon."

  
"What exactly will we be doing?"

  
"We have secret plans for this crystal. But before it can be put to work, we have to learn to properly harness and contain its power."

  
"Well I'd like to know what I'm getting into before I start my work on it."

  
Kylo looked around at the troopers, then nodded them away. They turned around to let Kylo speak privately. Jo leaned his head up to listen. "The First Order learned of a hospital which used this crystal to heal anything. We were assigned to have the crystal drawn out so we could obtain it. We sent a spy to confirm the rumors of the crystal's use, and once we received the answer we hoped for, we had to do what we could to simplify their forces and get the crystal."

  
It took all Jo had not to snap then and there. Kylo was talking about his hospital. They were responsible for all those deaths. Including Kell's. But for Jo's plan to work, he had to play cool. Kylo didn't recognize him; he needed to keep it that way.

  
"We're going to sample portions of the crystal to make a serum to upgrade our army." Kylo continued in a hushed voice.

  
"A super army?" Jo asked with an equal tone.

  
Kylo nodded, looked back up, then replied, "A super army."

  
\---

  
They arrived at the base. Only dark rock ground as far as the eye could see. They landed on the platform, and a squadron greeted them.

  
Kylo and Jo arrived at the end, and an officer stood there, awaiting for Kylo's arrival.

  
"The mission was successful and we have the cargo; make sure it gets inside safely."

 

"Yes sir."

  
\---

  
The crystal was safely lowered onto a wide lab table. Lab Troopers (made up) started inspecting it, analyzing its stability. Jo and Kylo walked around it, waiting for a report.

Lab Trooper

**_(I do not own the rights to this image)_ **

  
"The crystal has sustained much damage. If we're careful, we can conduct our experiments without any fatalities."

  
"Very good." Kylo replied.

  
"The crystal needs time to recover before anything happens to it." Jo said. "It ought to be left alone for now."

  
 _'Under the right amount of pressure, the crystal could either erupt or bleed.'_ Kylo thought. Then he agreed. "Hold off work for now. We'll get to it in the morning."  
The troopers looked at each other, shrugged, then put their work down and left.

  
"What is actually the plan to contain its power?" Jo asked.

  
"Our primary goal is to sample the crystal. We need to contain its power so it doesn't go off when we extract from it."

  
"So. Just make sure it doesn't explode?" Jo almost told him that he knew how, but given the circumstances, he knew not to clue him just yet. "I'm pretty sure I can handle it."

  
Kylo became suspicious and delved into the force. He wondered how this boy could know enough to care for the crystal. He then searched for a sign of something, a trace of the force. He found _that_ , but not much of it. "I hardly sense a manifestation of the force in you. How would you know of such statistics?"

  
. . .

  
"Some people say I have a quick-moving brain."

  
Though somewhat appeased, Kylo was still suspicious; he set himself to be aware of Jo's doings. Then he received an idea, so he tried putting it into action. "Would you like a teacher? To train you in the ways of the force?"

  
"I don't think so, Tony Montana."

  
"What?"

  
"Have you _had_ that much experience?"

  
"I wasn't referring to myself."

  
. . .

  
 _'Oh.'_ Jo thought, suddenly fearful. "The-" He stuttered slightly, "The Supreme Leader?"

  
"Oh maybe. The Supreme Leader is powerful, but he does whatever he does with reason. He may or may not accept you." Kylo sensed the fear within Jo. He wanted to build on that, but he decided to wait for more to act. "We have a few hours to rest. You will be shown to your quarters, and we will begin work soon." He explained before he retreated from the lab.

  
A stormtrooper appeared behind Jo, and gestured towards another exit in the lab.

  
\---

  
Jo settled in the bed in his room. The trooper handed him an Imperial uniform and left. In privacy and quietness, he stared at the uniform. _'What have I gotten myself into?'_ He thought about his decision he made on Takodana, and was starting to regret it. He had pretty much joined the First Order, who had been responsible for the deaths of his closest friends, and was possibly on the way to meeting the darkest being in this time of the galaxy.

  
He didn't need to know Snoke to know how evil he was. A darksider ruling a galaxy-wide threat was surely bad news; meeting him was never on Jo's agenda. He knew he had to escape at one point, and it had to be soon, but he knew he couldn't let them keep the crystal. He could destroy the crystal and possibly make a departure, but he couldn't do it alone.

  
 _'Just hope there's an inhabited town within fifty miles.'_ Jo thought. 'I might catch a couple 'z's, beforehand.' Though uneasy, Jo managed to doze off.

  
\--- _City Over Bespin_ \---

  
The battle was long over, but the aftermath was just as real. Tanks, fighters, ships, debris, and bodies, lying all over the gound as far as the eye could see.  
Ran Kanu came up from under a pile of debris, wounded all over. Bleeding head, sore arms, and he thought some broken ribs. He stumbled out and looked around at the ruin. The only things he heard were flames, and all he saw -when he looked around- was death. The carnage he was standing in was nothing he had experienced before; but oddly, he wasn't badly traumatized. He drudged around, and carefully dug through another rock pile only to find Errol's dead body. He fell back, and landed hard. He grunted, and glared at the body. Heavily gasping, he became desperate to find another sign of life.

  
" **Hello** \- *cough* " He shouted. His voice was raspy and scratchy at this state, and he knew he needed medical attention. Roughly clearing his throat, he tried again, " **Hello**!"

  
" _Squeak_!" He heard the Ugnaught squeak behind him, and immediately turned over. He shakily stood up to face the source. He saw a weary Ugnaught guard with his legs trapped under the wing of a crushed TIE Fighter.

  
He summoned all his strength to -without damaging himself further- approach the victim to help. He dropped to his knees to see what he could do; the guard was grabbing at him, desperately to try to pull himself out.

  
"Hey, hey, hey. I'm gonna help. Uh, somehow." He observed how much of the guard was trapped, and saw that it was just his legs. He felt the wing, and recognized the material. "A vibroblade might be able to cut through." He murmured. He reached around, and pulled his off his belt. The blade was bent slightly. "Oh, please still work." He prepared it, and started cutting through the wing. _'Luckily, I'm wearing rubber gloves.'_ He had cut a 'U' shape in the wing, and freed the Ugnaught. Once the guard recovered, Ran said, "I think it's just you and me left."

  
The Ugnaught simply nodded; Ran thought he might have already known.

  
"We should try to get out of here and find my friend." The guard agreed.

  
\---

  
"Alive!" Jo shot up in his bed. "He's alive." He said. He then yawned, then remembered where he was. "Right." He mumbled. _'Now how can I casually get out of here? This is a First Order base, run by an inexperienced amateur sith, and people who can't aim for their life's sake... This should be easy.'_

  
He got up and opened the door.

  
He looked left, then right, then left again.

  
He tiptoed to the end of the hall and peeked out. He saw the path that lead to the docking bay.

  
He slowly stepped over to spy on the bay, so he could form a plan to escape.

  
"What are you doing?" Jo nearly jumped out of his skin at the outburst. He turned and saw a lone trooper sitting at a table in, what he thought was, the cafeteria. He crossed into the room and sat down across from the trooper.

  
He observed his surroundings and situation quickly. He was sort of caught by a stormtrooper, _'Female. Sounds young. Probably a cadet.'_ He thought. When he was walking in, he had seen a couple more stormtroopers in the room, sitting tables away with some food in front of them. _'Definitely a cafeteria.'_ "I could ask the same. What are you doing here when hardly anyone else is around?"

  
"What?" The trooper asked, very confused. "Is that not normal?"

  
"Oh it's normal. What's not normal is that when everyone has been given temporary leave to rest, you're sitting _here_ of all places with _no food_ , doing who knows what. It would make others suspicious."

  
"Or maybe just you."

  
Jo raised his eyebrow. His expression read, _'Really?'_ "First Order authorities are smarter than they seem."

  
"How do they manage to lose _every_ time they fight the Resistance?"

  
"How do they manage to put someone in this condition?" Jo asked, gesturing to himself.

  
"Were you Resistance?"

  
"No. I was caught in a crossfire... Kinda."

  
"What battle?"

  
"It wasn't exactly a b- wait why?"

  
"Just curious. But you didn't answer my first question. What were you doing?"

  
"I think my reasoning makes you a bigger suspect. So I'd prefer if you'd answer first.

  
 _'Capably formidable, this guy is.'_. . .  "Contemplating the worth of my decision to join." She whispered. "Ever since I joined, something hasn't felt right."

  
"You wanna get out?"

  
"You doing the same?"

  
Jo rubbed his chin. "You're perceptive."

  
"As are you, for a young one. Run in the family?"

  
"I actually don't know; I never knew any of my family." Jo said, seemingly with no trouble.

  
"Well I'm sorry about that."

  
"Does it run in _your_ family?"

  
"I think s-ya know, I don't actually know. I've been away for a long time, so I wouldn't know. That and I was never old enough to understand."

  
"Sounds like we could both use a break." Jo whispered.

  
 _'Smooth transition.'_ She thought. "Got a plan?"

  
"Take a TIE and get out."

  
. . .

  
"You didn't think that through very well, did you?"

  
"Perhaps not, but the odds have been on my side so far."

  
"Can we possibly distract everyone from the hangar bay?"

  
 _'Distractions, distractions, it's all about distractio-'_ Then another idea popped in his head. "I'm going to rig something, that has recently been brought in, to explode. Only it won't explode. Everyone else will think it will, so they'll either get to cover, or escape from the range."

  
"And as they're running, we'll abscond out of here."

  
"But we're not taking anything." Jo said. _'The crystal surely won't fit in or on a Fighter.'_

  
"When do we start?"

  
"Now. Just finish up what you were doing, and act casually. But don't follow me."Then they both got up and exited. "Though you should probably hang around the bay."

  
"That's what the _hangar_ bay is for, isn't it?"

  
"Hilarious. Now get going."

  
\---

  
Jo entered the lab, and immediately started searching for something that could pressure the crystal so much that it wouldn't explode. He looked all around on the tables, and around the crystal, but found nothing. He leaned against a table, rested his hands behind his head, and exhausted some air from his mouth. "What to use."

  
. . .

  
Grinning and lifting his eyebrows, his pupils immediately directed to one of the metal compartments on his left arm. _'Heck yeah.'_ "Time to see what these can really do." He said. "Don't let me down, Maz." He then mumbled.

  
He took off his hand, then a couple segments, and grabbed one of his upper arm. He opened up the segment with one hand, and observed the insides. "The heck am I doing? I may be a doctor, but I'm no rocket scientist." He exclaimed to himself. One of his fingers slipped into the wires, and suddenly, he thought he could 'feel' what was built into the arm chunk. _'Dang, Maz! You're full of surprises. How did you take the time to make these? I didn't even know my metal half-head could do that.'_

  
He then placed the compartment under the crystal, next to the anti-grav levitator, and started rushing out. Remembering the rest of his arm, he quickly thought of how to carry it.

  
\---

  
He exited the lab quickly, half of his left arm being carried in the uniform he was offered. Being able to control what his arms do, he 'mentally' activated the time bomb.

  
The compartment, placed next to the levitator, shocked it and shut it down. The crystal fell, and ended up absorbing some discharged electric shocks.  
An alarm bellowed throughout the building, and an announcement followed shortly after. " _This is First Order command. In the case of an emergency, follow a designated pilot into a TIE and evade the area of danger_."

  
Jo joined his new friend by a TIE and they jumped in. Jo ended up in the gunner's seat, and the trooper in the pilot's seat. "You know how to fly one of these?"

  
"I'll figure it out."

  
"You're kidding me." Jo mumbled. "A'ight, no. I'm driving. Get back here." Jo said, climbing over onto the pilot's seat. As they were sat in their decided seats, Jo closed the hatch and said, "I never got your name." Then as other TIEs flew off, he lifted off as well.

  
"Name's Delinia Pahlee."

  
"Nice. I'm Jo." He replied as they started flying.

  
"Just Jo?"

  
"Yeah. If I don't know my family, I wouldn't know the family name."

  
"Good point. Now we need to escape eyesight before they find out it was rigged. How'd you get past security cameras that quickly, by the way?"

  
'There were cameras?' "I don't even know. I hope we're lucky enough that they didn't set something up. Now are there any towns on this seemingly desolate rock?"

  
"Definitely. I'll tell you the way."

  
\---

  
Moments later.

  
"What was the emergency?" Kylo asked the control tower's onlookers.

  
"Well sir, a camera in the lab showed a green crystal about to, er, explode."

  
Kylo approached the screens. "Do we know who activated it?"

  
"No sir, the screen was fuzzy before that."

  
Kylo merely frowned as he was shown the broken footage. "How?"

  
The officer opened his mouth to answer, but he didn't know what to say. But then, the screen cleared up, and they saw. Kylo saw exactly what happened. _'Why?'_

 


	9. Chapter 9

 

Chapter 9

  
"We should be just a few minutes away from the nearest town." Delinia informed.

  
"Good."

  
. . .

  
"Well we made good time. No TIEs are following us. So what are you doing when you get to town?"

  
"Well, I'm not going to destroy the base alone; I'm going to try to put together a team of sorts. You?"

  
"I'm going to have to leave. Escape the First Order to return to my family."

  
"...Ah."

  
"I wish I could help, but I can't risk my life before I find my family."

  
_'And Ben Solo will be a greater threat.'_ Jo started forming his plan, but only shortly after he started did he spot the town in the distance. He also noticed that the terrain he was flying over wasn't dark and rocky; it was a bright sandy plain. It wasn't a hot, desert-like area; it was more of a warm, beach-looking pasture. There were groups of fruit trees every hundred yards apart, and the town was in the midst.

  
"Delinia, are you seeing this?" Jo asked in pure wonder.

  
"I am."

  
Jo felt his stomach growl loudly. "I think that speaks for itself." Jo mumbled.

  
"Got any cash on you?" Delinia asked.

  
"I don't know, but I think I know something that'll work."

  
The TIE landed in a spaceport; and they started exploring the town. There were a few markets along the buildings. It looked like any other city in a desert, except more tropical. There were restaurants, hotels, luxury condos, cantinas, stores, and company bases as far as the eye could see.

  
"Let's check out the nearest cantina. Those are usually filled with the most devious, yet most helpful specimen in the region of the galaxy."

  
They accessed the nearest cantina and sat at the counter.

  
The tender turned and faced the young people; he raised an eyebrow at them. "What are two youngsters like you doing here? Where are your parents?"

  
"Our business is none of yours. But first," Delinia said, passing a peggat forward. "A couple of Jogan Juices."

  
The tender just shrugged it off and served them, then went back to his business.

  
"Alright, so when we're done here, I'll be off; and you'll be... taking on a First Order camp." Delinia said, taking a sip.

  
"Mhm." Jo murmured, also taking a sip.

  
"Something wrong?" Delinia asked.

  
"Kinda." Jo replied. He gathered and organized his thoughts, then replied, "I've been on a long adventure this past week; and all throughout, no matter what, I haven't managed to keep any companions of mine. Anytime I'm about to leave, the others depart. If I go down, I don't want to be alone. I understand you're going to be busy, but you need to know I feel as though I'm feeling left in the dumps."

  
"I understand." Delinia told him, sipping again. "Keep whoever you get to help you. If they leave, go with them. Try something new, and make new friends that way."  
"A bit anti-climactic, but I'll take it. It kinda feels like there was a better alternate for that conversation."

  
"I don't know exactly what you meant, but I see you developing a good sense of humor in the future. And ya know, humor is a good way to cope with any sort of discomfort or pain. You can really use that."

  
"You could be right about that."

  
Delinia finished her drink, set the glass down, and stood from her stool. "Well," She started, "This is goodbye."

  
"Ah don't say that. As far as stories go, we all know there's going to be a reunion in a little while. *cough* Spoilers! *cough* "

  
"That's what I'm talking about. I don't understand it, but I know there are people who do. Use it."

  
"I most likely will." Jo told her. Delinia reached her hand outward, and Jo caught it. They shook, and she was off.

  
Jo sighed. "So I guess I need to find a pilot and a warrior now."

  
"Well it's your lucky day." Jo heard a raised voice say. He turned and faced a blue-skinned Duros. He approached the table and sat across from him. "Name's Juntah. Juntah Bane."

  
"Sounds like a first name that'd be better off read than heard."

  
"I get that a lot. What do you need someone like me for?"

  
Jo looked around, making sure no one was listening in. He turned back, leaned forward, and whispered, "I need a team to help me take down a First Order base."  
Juntah laughed it off. "You think a small group can take on an entire base? I gotta admit, you're pretty crazy."

  
"Crazy means good in this case."

  
"I don't disagree. I was gonna say, 'it's crazy, and I like it.' I know someone else who might also be interested in helping."

  
"Alright! Let's meet him."

  
"Just gotta let him finish first."

  
"Finish what?"

  
Juntah nodded over to his left; Jo looked and saw a man in sackloth-like garments, standing on one foot and balancing a thin cup on his finger, and utensils on the fingers of the other hand.

  
"Dang!" Jo exclaimed.

  
"He's one of those force-users." Juntah whispered. "The First Order doesn't like his kind."

  
"What's someone like him doing here?"

  
"Doing what we do best: cause trouble; make money."

  
"You don't say? That's exactly what I need."

  
"How much are you offering?"

  
"I'll think about it." Jo said, giving reward some thought. "Who knows? We might get lucky if we scrounge about a little. Maybe take a little something."

  
" _That's_ what _I'm_ talking about!" Juntah grinned. "A'ight! I ain't waiting any longer! **_SIM_**! _**GET OVER HERE**_!"

  
Sim lost balance and dropped what he held, but used the force to catch them. He gently placed them on the nearest table, and smoothly walked over.

  
"I do not appreciate being interrupted." Sim told Juntah.

  
"Pipe down; we have a mission." Juntah said.

  
"You guys got a ship?" Jo asked.

  
"And weapons, and a place to crash and to plan. You need anything else?"

  
"Depends. What kinda weapons?"

  
"Various."

  
"Man! What are the odds I'd run into you guys at the right time?"

  
"Never rule out the thought that the force led you here." Sim said.

  
"We should head out now before we become suspicious." Juntah said. "Let's go."

  
\---

  
Juntah and Sim lead Jo to their humble abode, where they'd discuss their course of action. They lived in a practical, inexpensive hut near the city. It lived up to what Jo hoped for; there were weapons strewn about on the walls and in crates, and a hologram table.

  
"I admit, I'm impressed. This seems like a very convenient way to live."

  
"Sim says it's better than living in a house you have to pay for." Juntah said.

  
"True dat." Jo agreed.

  
"Where are we starting?" Juntah asked.

  
"Right here." Jo replied, activating the hologram table. "Aw cool! It's wireless!"

  
"Bounty hunting gets you places." Juntah said.

  
"I see that. Let's get started." Jo said as he pulled up a holographic diagram of the First Order base. "First off, I'll need a list of all your weapons."

  
\---

  
All was well at the First Order camp. Or so it seemed. Kylo felt nagged by the officers who kept pushing for an answer to what they would do, now that a fugitive knows of the crystal and its location. He isolated himself to calm down and plan what he _was_ going to do; he was soon disrupted when he heard commotion outside the complex.

  
Kylo reached the gate and asked the patrol trooper, "What's going on?"

  
"Intruders, sir. Just two guys. I sent two fighters to deal with them." The trooper replied, pointing at them. The TIEs were just lifting off.

  
"Just stick with the bomb cannons." Kylo commanded, quickly stepping away.

  
"Yes sir." He replied. He pressed the comm button on his helmet and contacted the TIE pilots. "Fall back! Master Ren has ordered us to use the bombs." He looked aside at the bombardiers, and nodded.

  
The cannons were aimed, and they fired. The trooper looked on; but as the shells almost landed on the intruders, Jo used the force to still the two that almost hit them.

  
Jo ignited his lightwhips and cut across the bombshells. "They have bombs. Get the shields up."

  
Juntah pressed a button on his wrist, and a large energy shield covered them both. They advanced, running towards the station at the same speed. The bombs would follow them, and Jo would have to stop to force them away.

  
As they reached their halfmark across the field, Jo wasn't able to stop one of the bombs from hitting them. The shield was malfunctioning, and fighting not to turn off. With that being said, Jo and Juntah ran as fast as they could towards the building; Jo was slightly faster than Juntah and got there before he did.

  
Jo turned to assist Juntah, but as Juntah was only yards away, a bomb was dropped. It exploded, and Juntah was caught in the microburst. Jo shielded his eyes from the explosion, and turned back in horror as he saw Juntah lying motionless.

  
He didn't know what to do in the moment. He needed to complete the mission to keep the crystal from them, but he couldn't leave Juntah in the battlefield. So he stretched his hands out and lifted Juntah off the ground. Trying hard to nab Juntah quickly, Jo focused hard, but was only able to move him slowly. Jo was so focused on helping his friend, that he did not notice the squad of stormtroopers that headed outside and surrounded him.

  
"Hands up." The leader shouted, his squad aiming their pistols at him.

  
Jo snapped out of his gaze, Juntah lowering slowly to the ground, and looked around.

  
"I said hands up!" The stormtrooper general repeated. Jo immediately dropped to his knees and raised his hands, losing hope. "You're under arr-" He received a comm call, and let it through. "Yes sir. You're _both_ under arrest. On your feet, _Jedi_."

  
"Wow! You sound so biased; it almost feels real." Jo said.

  
The troopers cuffed Jo and laid Juntah down on a hover-stretcher, and led them inside the fort. As they were passing through, Jo felt something tugging at his hand. He slowly, slightly, and carefully drifted his eyes' gaze to his left, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw Juntah trying to place something in his hands. He suddenly gained some hope and swiftly took the item.

  
Jo was led back inside the base, and into the lab. There, Kylo Ren was waiting for him. And he had his mask. Jo was pushed right in front of him. They both stared into each others' eyes for a moment.

  
Then Kylo spoke. "I take that as a no?" He asked in a statement-like manner.

  
"What are you thinking?" Jo asked. Kylo crossed his arms and raised his head in acknowledgement, letting Jo lead the conversation for now. "There are kids, like me, within your stormtrooper army. Those kids are taken from their families at such a young age... will they ever see their families again?"

  
_'Is that what this is about?'_ Kylo asked himself, immensely confused. "Did you know it happened to all Jedi? My parents gave me away to Luke in my childhood, and I haven't seen them since. It happens to all, and I sense the distress in you on this topic; it leads me to believe you've separated from much already."

  
"There should be some second thoughts on the moral stance of the First Order. Ripping children from their families never to be seen again-"

  
"Is all for a cause. Is that what this is about?"

  
"Not entirely." Jo replied, noticing Juntah being transported to the med-bay. He was being carried by one trooper. "First off." Jo bent down, lifted one leg, pulled his cuffed hands under it, and repeated the action with his other leg. "It doesn't really matter how you cuff someone. Second off," Jo saw Juntah launch up from his hover-stretcher and knock out the trooper carrying him. He then pressed the button on the switch (he then found out it was a switch)and the cuffs fell from his wrists.

  
Everyone in the room turned to the source of the commotion, but Jo ignited his lightwhips and spun around, wiping out everyone else. He noticed a button on the other end of the switch and immediately pressed it. A boom erupted in the building, shaking Jo, Kylo, and Juntah. Juntah fled the scene to rendezvous with Sim. _'Oh yeah, that's part of the plan.'_ Jo thought about the boom.

  
Kylo ignited his crossguard lightsaber and speed-walked towards Jo. He swung sideways, aiming for the outside of Jo's arms.

  
Jo jumped in surprise, and swung back in the opposite direction; the lightwhip obtained more force and pushed Kylo's sword back. _'Alright!_ ' Jo subtly congratulated himself.

  
Jo swung his arms back and forth, the tips of his whips cracking and humming as they hit Kylo's blade. Kylo fought back with as much force as he could muster, but Jo's whips were hard to match. Jo whacked Kylo's blade away with one whip, then sliced Kylo's mask with his other.

  
Another boom erupted, then they noticed the roof collapsing. Jo fled the room, and made it to the docking bay. He looked around, but didn't see Juntah or Sim anywhere.

  
" ** _JUNTAH_**!? **_SIM_**?!" He shouted amongst the flaming and exploding building. He looked around, and saw holes in the ceiling. Chunks of it were falling in flames...

'Wait-'... 'I know this.' He thought. He then saw shuttles taking off; he ran to jump on one, but was knocked back with sudden force. He recovered, looked up, and saw Kylo with his triple-bladed lightsaber in hand.

  
Then it occurred to Jo. _'I didn't yet have my new mechanical arms.'_ As Kylo swung to strike down Jo, Jo crossed his arms, and his wrists caught Kylo's lightsaber.

  
"Impossible." Kylo muttered.

  
"No. I'm living proof it is."

  
The building shook again, and more began hailing from the roof. Jo pushed the blade away and stood back.

  
"Who are you?" Kylo asked.

  
"You were a Padawan-gone-wrong of Luke Skywalker. You, Kylo Ren, were known as Ben Solo, the son of Han Solo." Jo hinted.

  
"How do you know me?" Kylo asked.

  
" _I_ was too. _I_ was a Padawan."

  
Kylo started putting the pieces together.

  
"I was the one considered 'Luke's favorite.' " Jo continued. " ** _I_** , am Jonan."

  
Kylo remembered, then finally saw the resemblance.

  
"I must thank you. You made me better than I was, and better than you."

  
Kylo was now furious.

  
"You failed, Ben! You failed to kill me, now you're going to fail your First Order." Jo finished.

  
Kylo charged, swinging hard at Jo. But Jo force-pushed him backwards, and Kylo landed on his back.

  
The ceiling exploded, then a Tc-3 shuttle descended from the hole, Juntah at the controls. The ramp lowered, and Jo hopped on. He looked back at Kylo, who was slowly recovering. Kylo met his gaze once again.

  
"You're wrong." Jo said. "About the First Order; about everything. You don't rule a galaxy in fear; you discipline. There's nothing wrong with it. Hostility will only make things worse. If you discipline without judement, you're more likely to make allies. Allies mean friends. That's how you're supposed to rule. Bonds make us stronger, and that's how you're supposed to live. " Then the shuttle lifted and fled the disaster.

  
"Destroy the crystal and immediately enter hyperspace." Jo commanded.

  
"Aye aye!" Juntah replied. He turned the shuttle around and shot through the lab- with Jo's help- and shot out the torpedoes. It hit the crystal, and it started glowing. Juntah lifted the shuttle and activated lightspeed and flashed out of the planet's orbit.

  
Kylo was picked up by a shuttle and narrowly escaped the crystal's destruction as well.

  
"Sir, should we pursue?" An officer asked.

  
. . .

  
. . .

  
"No."

  
"Um, sir?" Another announced. "The Supreme Leader demands an update on progress with the crystal."

  
\---

  
"So, what are you doing after this?" Juntah asked.

  
"Well... I've come a long way. People have come and gone; I wanted to stay with someone for a little while, but I think the bounty hunter life might be a bit intense for me."

  
"So... what are you doing after this?"

  
"I dunno, I might find someone and lay low for a little while. Live somewhere not too populated by people."

  
"I'll drop you off at a spaceline." Juntah said.

  
"That's good. Thanks."

  
\---

  
Juntah and Sim bought Jo a passport, and Jo headed for the docking bay. Before Jo entered the docking bay, he turned and said goodbye to them. "We'll be in contact, right?" He asked.

  
"I don't have a code or anything, but we'll find a way; we're bounty hunters." Juntah replied.

  
Jo nodded in understanding. "Goodbye Juntah. Sim. I hope to see you both later."

  
"You too." Juntah responded.

  
"Safe travels." Sim said. Jo turned back around, but Sim caught his attention again, "Jo!" He faced Sim again. "May the force be with you."

  
"May the force be with _you_." Jo replied with a grin.

  
He entered the docking bay and boarded the shuttle.

  
He sat down and relaxed. He watched as the surface got lower and lower. Soon, he was in space.

  
Jo didn't sense two people watching him. They aproached Jo from behind; one of them asked, "These seats taken?"

  
Jo got a look at both of them, then nodded.

  
"The force is strong with you, young one. What's your name?" One of them asked.

  
"I'm Jo. Who are you guys? You're identical, and it's kinda weirding me out."

  
"I am Rye Follnor, and this is my brother Erickson Follnor. _We're Jedi in hiding_." Rye whispered.

  
Jo raised his eyebrows.

  
"For a while, we have been trying to put together a team of young force-users to one day become the most powerful in the galaxy. We sensed a high manifestation of the force within you, and wondered if you would like us to train you?"

  
Jo didn't sense any harmful intentions from any of them; other than that, he was surprised, shocked, and happy all at the same time. He was just offered a chance to continue his training as a Jedi; he wouldn't pass it up. "I would like that. Am I the only one?"

  
"Not so far. We have two others. We're based on Kashyyyk, away from the Republic's jurisdiction." Erickson replied.

  
"We're a part of the Republic, but we work a little differently." Rye corrected.

  
"Kashyyyk is a kind of place I was headed."

  
"Excellent. I'm glad this is working out. You'll get a room next to the others; They'll definitely like you." Rye said.

  
 _'Friends I get to live with.' Jo thought about that glorious fact. 'I get new friends I get to be around all the time. I just hope it won't be all for naught. I could be a part of them, but I'm afraid of being or feeling left out. But I guess I'll have to wait. I am excited.'_ Jo thought.

  
"I have a good feeling about this." Jo said.

  
The ship then entered hyperspace.

  
**_THE END..._ **

 

 

 

 

 

**_JO WILL RETURN IN_ **

  
**_'YOUTH WARS PART III: The New Age'_ **


	10. Epilogue

  
Epilogue

  
"We should hurry, though." Jo said, giving Exar his macrobinocluars back. "The holocron isn't going to obtain itself."

  
"Right." Aang said as he and Exar followed.

  
They went through more of the forest a couple seconds, then came across a stone wall that extended to their side, far beyond their sight.

  
"We have to get over it." Jo said, kneeling down and holding his forearms. Aang stepped on and Jo pushed up, launching Aang up over the wall. Jo kneeled back down and looked at Exar.

  
Exar laughed and said, "We have the force." And jumped over the wall.

  
 _'True.'_ Jo thought. He was about to jump over, using his boot jets, when he remembered something. He walked over to the side a little bit, looking down the hill next to him, and saw a big crater in the ground. Jo stood there, smiling at the memory.

  
"Jo! Come on!" He heard Aang yell. He looked to where the sound was coming from, then back at the crater. He smiled again, then turned and leaped over the wall.


End file.
